The Vigilant Yaksha

Chapter 23

Her body involuntarily shot up into a sitting position as she gasped harshly, her breathing ragged and painful as she clutched at her chest, now scanning her open hands for any traces of blood as the realization finally set in.

A fucking nightmare.

Frustrated, she collapsed back into the warmth of Xiao's bed as her heart began to beat normally again.

But why? I'm not afraid of Xiao?

The girl mused quietly as the birds chirped happily in the background.

She quickly realized it was pointless trying to draw lines between her dreams and the real world, so she gave up with a deep sigh as she decided to go downstairs and see if Aether and her friends were still around, thinking maybe she would join them after all.

Sending a quick wave Verr's way as she passed through the main lobby, she proceeded to duck her head in and out of multiple different rooms from the kitchen and all the way down to the bottom floor of the inn, finally coming to a stop as she realized they had probably already left considering how late she'd slept in.

Xiao doesn't seem like he's back either.

Crossing her arms over her chest, the girl pouted to herself, frustrated.

First that trash excuse of a dream, and now she awoke to find all her friends had moved on without her because she'd slept in, and Xiao was still missing in action.

That meant she was alone to her thoughts, and that was the last thing she wanted to be.

Hmmm....

Vena's mind wandered, seeing if she remembered the way to Liyue Harbor from the inn. She'd taken it only once or twice with her group, but she did seem to have a photographic memory, and it seemed like she remembered most of the route.

Verr would most definitely stop her if she mentioned it, so she decided against that.

How bad could it be? She could probably make it there before nightfall, and the route was a popular one that a lot of merchant caravans always went down, so she doubted she'd run into any trouble if she just stayed to the main roads.

With a shrug, the girl set off down the road without another thought, honestly not really even caring what happened as she desperately tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that nightmare had given her.

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There weren't words to describe how beautiful Liyue truly was.

The area that surrounded the girl was like eye-candy, and she made sure to observe and appreciate every piece of nature possible as she walked down that lonely road, being sure she was headed the right way as she took note of every sign that directed her down the right path.

Sounds of nature filled her ears, the birds singing peacefully, nearby rivers flowing tranquilly, even her own boots crunching the dirt underneath her feet.

The smells of flowers and the earth lit up her nose, bringing a smile to her face.

Nature had such a beautiful way of calming her very soul.

She cast her gaze to the sky, frowning a tad as she realized there were clouds coming in, signaling an incoming storm.

I've been walking for hours. The city can't be too much farther. Hopefully I make it there before the rain starts.