Chapter 63: A place to call home.

Tyrant flew through the sky for a while, his iron wings beating the air with a steady rhythm. Zyra absolutely loved it, because the sun was gentle today, which was rare. The flight was like getting a free luxury tour of the wild lands!

From high above, the wild lands looked like a giant, vibrant painting. They soared over crumbling ancient ruins carved in stone, dense green forests, vast golden deserts, and jagged mountain peaks. They even flew over a lonely island sitting in the middle of a crystal-like lake, eerie swamps bubbling with acid, and giant, deep craters that looked like they had been punched into the earth by falling stars.

For a deadly place, the wild lands were truly a spectacle to behold. Even that crystal lake was poisonous, every beautiful little bit of it!

Every few minutes, Zyra would point down excitedly. "Look at that cave! Or that crater over there! Hunter, wouldn’t that be a perfect place for our home?"

Hunter didn’t even look. "No. Too exposed. No. Too many beasts. No. If the sand rolls, we will be buried."

Zyra pouted, crossing her arms. "You are no fun. There is no such thing as a safe place in the Wild lands. Just pick one and we adjust."

He grunted.

After flying past a range of strange, salty Rocky Mountains that glowed a soft pink under the sun, they finally approached a tall wall of stone. Tucked away behind it was a hidden valley, completely hidden from the ordinary naked eye.

"We are here," Hunter announced, tapping Tyrant’s neck.

The tiger stepped out of the sky and touched down at the mouth of the valley. The only way inside was a narrow mountain path squeezed tightly between two incredibly tall cliffs. The walls of solid rock rose so high into the clouds that when Zyra looked up, the sky seemed like a tiny blue ribbon.

Outside the path, the land was harsh. The wind howled like a dying beast, and distant, terrifying roars echoed through the trees. But as they walked deeper into the narrow pass, the noise slowly died down. It felt as though the giant mountains were shutting the rest of the world behind them, locking them in a peaceful sanctuary.

Then, suddenly, the path ended, and the land opened up.

"Woah!" Zyra gasped, her eyes going wide.

A breathtaking green valley lay cradled inside the heart of the mountains. A river of crystal-clear fresh water sparkled under the sunlight, winding its way across the lush grass. At the far end, a magnificent waterfall crashed down from the cliffs above, filling the air with a cool, refreshing mist. Trees grew thick and heavy with strange, colorful fruits, and the soil was dark and rich, perfect for farming as long as they had the right energy stones.

Everything felt completely calm, pure, and untouched by the chaos of the outside world. Tyrant began to run around chasing the butterflies.

Beauty practically squealed with delight. [Oh my goodness, Host! This is the perfect place to raise your beasts in an earthly world! The energy here is so pure!] Beauty could barely contain her excitement, her snake tail swishing happily.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Hunter stood quietly, letting Zyra take it all in. A small, satisfied smile played on his lips as he watched her expression...she looked exactly the way he had the very first time he discovered this place.

"It’s completely hidden," Hunter explained, his voice breaking the silence. "There is only one entrance. If danger ever comes, we can block that narrow path easily. Plus, look up. The cliffs lean inward at the top. From the sky, no one can see inside. Even flying beasts would pass right over without noticing a thing. You have unlimited fresh water, the soil is perfect for growing food, and if you want to hunt, there’s a dense forest just outside the pass."

He knew this place like the back of his hand because he had cleared out all the high-level beasts with Achilles and their most trusted men. They hid some of their good here before transporting them to the underground markets. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Zyra turned to him, her face glowing. "It’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect. How in the world did you find a place like this?"

Hunter shrugged casually. "Achilles and I used to move around a lot when we were younger, scouting the wild lands. I was actually pretty reckless back then." He paused, looking out over the river. "I’m twenty-eight now, by the way, I don’t mean to sound like an old man."

Zyra blinked, nodding slowly. It suddenly hit her...this was the very first personal detail she actually knew about him. "Twenty-eight, huh? Well, I’m twenty-two."

Hunter let out a short chuckle. "Obviously. Your Soul maiden awakening or lack of awakening just happened a few days ago."

Before Zyra could fire back a witty response, a sharp buzzing interrupted them. Hunter pulled out his phone. He slid his thumb across the screen, reading a message. His eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" Zyra asked curiously.

"A message from Achilles," Hunter said, shoving the phone back into his pocket. He scoffed, shaking his head. "He says the Mayor is still low-key looking for you."

Zyra tilted her head, confused. "Wait, why low-key? Yesterday every hunter was looking for me in the open."

Hunter sighed, it was time to let her in on the truth. "You are free. Officially, the charges against you were dropped and the bounty pulled."

Suddenly, Zyra burst out laughing. It was a loud, mocking laugh that echoed off the valley walls. "Like I would ever return so easily," she said sarcastically.

Hunter frowned, rubbing his ear. "I thought you’d be celebrating."

"Are you kidding me?" Zyra wiped a tear from her eye, her voice turning sharp. "There is no way on earth the Duggar family is just letting me go. Not after what happened to Hans. They won’t just forgive and forget. How were the charges dropped? There were witnesses to my self-defense, but I doubt it is what they said."

Hunter’s face turned serious. He tilted his head, staring at her intently. "That’s the weird part. The Divine soul maiden paid a fine for Hans’ death and ordered the case closed. As for why she would do that, maybe it is because you are a Soul maiden and you are her responsibility overall. Humans cannot afford your loss. But the mayor is still after you."

Zyra snapped her fingers, then winced because she did it too hard. "Why? Why is he so obsessed with finding me?"

"Have you ever met the mayor?" Hunter asked, his sharp hunter eyes studying her face. "Did you do something to him in the past?"

"Not at all!" Zyra threw her hands up. "I have never met the man. I have seen his face a few times on the television in the grand elder’s house. That is as close as I have come to him." She shook her head. "This is all suspicious."

Hunter didn’t say anything immediately, but his mind was racing. There was a big piece missing in this story, and he needed to figure out what it was.

He cleared his throat, pushing the thought aside for now. "Well, we can figure that out later. For tonight, we can sleep in that cave over there by the waterfall. Tomorrow, Achilles will bring the men to start building the house. I’m going to head out to the nearby forest to find us some real food for dinner. Tyrant stays here with you. Don’t try to follow me."

Zyra scoffed. "You don’t control my feet; I can go where I want to go."

Tyrant raised a brow, smirking...if a tiger could smirk. His eyes seemed to be daring her to make a choice.