The Pursue And The Hope.
The Calm plains were awfully silent.
It wasn't the usual silence.
But the silence where even the wind hitting the skin was too stealthy.
The temperature was as perfect as it could get.
Among all this walked Ray Raynold, carrying a medium sized bag filled with some rations that were obviously for Lina. Only Lina.
Suddenly, he smelled something in the air and stopped.
Lina, who was walking behind him, bumped into his leg and stumbled backwards.
"What's wrong, papa?" Lina asked, confused.
Ray looked around and sniffed the air. "Nothing. Let's continue moving."
He saw big rock ahead and started walking towards it. Lina moved behind him, slowly.
After Ray got there, he got on top of it with a single leap.
He looked around in the distance, trying to find some traces. And he found some.
Far in the distance, he saw a small camp with three tents.
People lived there. Maybe.
He got down and picked Lina up into his arms. "Hold tight, Kiddo."
Lina, confused, simply wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Ray sprinted towards the camp in full speed.
After just a minute, he got to the camp. After looking around, he found no signs of anyone.
"Did they leave the tents here and left?" he thought to himself while exploring the tents. "Looks like they were on vehicles and couldn't take these with them. Maybe they didn't have enough space?"
He looked at the tracks left behind by the vehicles. About four vehicles. A few dozen people. Who could they be?
"Akras." Ray said the name. "It's him, huh?"
Akras Ravalo. The same man who forced Ray into this hellish-paradise like place. He was now in the Calm Plains, looking for Ray.
"If it wasn't for Lina, I would've killed that motherfucker instantly." he thought to himself, annoyed as hell.
Just then, Ray felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Lina.
"Papa," she said, her green pearly eyes looking up at him. "Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing." Ray started smiling instantly. The same one he aways uses to fool her.
"Papa, why are there tents?" Lina pointed at the tents.
"Well, it means there were people here a while ago. They were in a hurry so they left." Ray said to her as he patted her head. "Just play around a little. Papa will look around for stuff."
Ray entered the tents one by one and got everything useful he could find.
And everything meant just a few things and only one that he can use for himself.
He found a map, indicating that it was indeed a Triangular Plain. Creating a full map of the Calm Plains is damn near impossible.
But the map did indicate that they were moving in a good direction. But unfortunately, they were quite a bit inside. And if they moved in the same direction as Akras, he would eventually run into them. And that would put Lina in danger.
Luckily, if they went a little more diagonally, they would reach a kindgom that's about a few dozen miles away from the Calm Plains.
That is the Kingdom of Ariziana.
The kingdom is known for it's neutrality. Even those with a bounty on their head can live there as long as they hunt monster in exchange.
"What a damn stroke of fucking luck, man!" Ray exclaimed his joy and excitement in his mind.
anyway, the other things he found were a few candy bars.
"Well, time to make up with the candy craving little gremlin I guess."
Ray picked up all the candy bars and went to Lina, who was playing with one of the binoculars. Ray didn't take those as he doesn't need them.
"Hey, kiddo." Ray called out to Lina.
Lina looked at him curiously. "Yes, papa?"
Ray took out the candies and showed them to her. "You wanted these, right?"
Lina immediately lit up with excitement. "Give me! Give me those!"
She snatched the candy bars from Ray and immediately started munching on them like a squirrel.
"Slow down," he said. "No one's stealing it from you."
But Lina did not slow down. Instead, she sped up her pace, devouring the candies.
"Well, this is what happens when kids get candies, I suppose." Ray thought to himself, smiling.
But he was aware that the journey in the Calm Plains has just begun.
And difficult times lie ahead. But Ray is ready to face any challenge he has to. All for the sake of them. For the sake of Lina, and ----.
Will Ray be able to get out of this place safely?
Or will he hit his limit and collapse from starvation?
Or will he find a way to survive for a long time without food?