Though The Calm Plains.
There was only grass an a few trees as far as the eye could see. Trees were spread far apart, meaning finding shade was not easy. The grass wasn't so tall either. Tall? It was about a few inches. Maybe three. Big rocks occasionally came in sight but most of them were still covered in moss. So much greenery that most would enjoy it to their heart's content if they didn't know what type of place this was. And Ray knew. That's why he wasn't feeling so cheerful. But for Lina? That's a different story.
Ray held two small bags containing some stuff to eat. Candies for Lina, some rations that might last for two days if they both ate. But if only Lina ate? About four or three?
Ray walked behind Lina as she ran around like a playful gremlin. "Careful, kiddo." he said but he couldn't help but smile.
"I don't know how I feel about it." he thought to himself. "We're in such a hellish place an she has no idea. She's just being a little playful gremlin. If only... this moment could last forever. And only if... we weren't so alone."
Lina found a flower patch and sat own beside it. "So beautiful!" she exclaimed.
She started picking the flowers one by one. While she did, Ray looked around, trying to find a good spot. Fortunately, he spotted a river far in the distance. Really far. About a few kilometers. Maybe ten kilometers. But it definitely had fish. Probably. Because nearly 80% of the rivers in Calm Plains had fish. Not many, though. But there might be enough to last a few days for Lina. For 'Lina'.
"Papa!" Lina tugged at Ray's pants to get his attention. As he looked down, she was holding a flower necklace she made herself using the flowers she picked and some vines she found on the ground. "I made this for you!"
Ray took it and wore it around his neck. "It's lovely. Just like you, my cute little Lina." he said while patting her head. "Lina. I saw a river in the distance. We gotta get here quick. Come on. Get on my back."
He turned around and she hopped on his back. Ray made some goggles for her and put it on her. "There. Full send."
He sprinted towards the river on full speed as the ground he was standing on cracked. He kept running towards it and Lina was having fun on his back. It felt like a ride to her. "It's so fun!" she exclaimed while holding onto him tightly. She wasn't going to fall anyway because Ray was holding her tight with his mana matter.
After about ten minutes of running, he reached the river. Fortunately, it was surrounded by some trees so they found a good shade as well.
Ray let Lina down his back and she looked into the river, admiring the water's color an the few fishes swimming it it. She slapped the water and some splashed onto her face.
"It's cold!" she said while laughing.
"Lina. How about you take a bath now?" Ray said to her.
"Okay!"
A few minutes later, Lina's clothes were on one side as Ray gave her a bath in the river. He used soap and shampoo he made with his own mana to wash her. And he was regulating the temperature of the water by generating immense heat in it using his mana.
"Is the water good?" Ray asked while rubbing shampoo on her head.
"Yep! It feels really good!" she answered while splashing water everywhere.
"Stay still, you cute little troublemaker."
A while later, both of them were totally clean. Yes, Ray as well.
Lina was wearing new clothes Ray made for her. It was a pink top and blue jeans. Simple but it still made her look super cute. Her hair was tied in a pig-tail that enhanced her cuteness even more.
As for Ray... well... the usual. Casual red jeans and a red shirt. Red because it's easier to hide blood from her then. Not that he will be covered in blood anyway. He was just used to wearing those so he went with it. It's a bad habit at this point. He looked quiet handsome though.
It was now time to catch some fish. Easy task.
Ray made a spear and held it with one hand. The moment a fish came in sight, he thrusted the spear into the water and caught it.
"That's one." Ray said calmly.
"Papa is so coooool!!!" Lina in the back.
He caught another.
"Two."
Then another.
"Three."
Then another.
Then another.
And another.
After a few minutes, he ha caught about twenty five. He caught only that much because he couldn't find more. He was lucky anyway because he heard it's hard to find even fifteen.
But now, it was evening and it was time for dinner.
"Time for dinner I guess." he said while looking at the setting sun.
"Papa," Lina tugged at his pants. "What are we eating today?"
"We're eating fish. We caught quiet a lot anyway." he said while he created some firewood and fire with his mana. (Convenient and efficient, I guess.)
Dinner was ready and Lina dug in instantly. She tore through the fish like a hungry hyena. Little rascal. But Ray did not eat.
"Papa, are you not gonna eat?" she asked him while chewing the fish.
"I'm not really hungry." what he said was an obvious lie but Lina didn't know. She just continued eating.
"There's a chance we might not find food tomorrow." he thought. "There's no way I'm gonna let Lina starve. If I don't eat, she will be able to eat to her heart's content."
After eating dinner, they both laid by the river, next to the campfire. Ray made a big blanket and a pillow and wrapped both him and Lina in the blanket. She was tired so she instantly slept while hugging him, her head on his chest.
"Even though I'm the real tired one here." he said to himself and patting her head with one hand and looked above, into the sky, staring at the stars.
"I don't know how I feel about this." he thought to himself. "About getting a good night's sleep. Every night, I had to keep my guard up in order to protect Lina. This Calm Plains... Even hell let's you take some rest, huh?"
Ray's journey through the Calm Plains has just begun. What lies ahead might be filled with misery or full of joy. No one knows for sure.
Will he be able to survive?
Will he be able to successfully escape?
And above all, while protecting Lina?
Next: First Encounter.
(I forgot to mention a something in their introduction. Ray has Black hairs with a purple shade and Lina has perfect Blond hairs. If there's anything else you wanna know about them or about their world, comment and I'll answer it.)