Five days later.

Veronica finally reached her destination. Below her is the ocean of clouds gathering around the mountain top. ​​

She hovered above the Windless Mountain for a few minutes, looking down at the herbal plants that were growing abundantly on the ground. She was about to lower herself on the ground when a net was suddenly fell from above and imprisoned her.

Dang! She was caught by the magical net! And she can't get out!

She groaned in dismay.

She thought she could steal some roots of the Cheacuri herbs before the deity would be alerted of her presence. That thousand-year-old beautiful deity is indeed powerful, she still managed to capture her even if she was in her invisible form.

She looked heavenward and the thousand-year-old deity, Elva Sunbelle, beautiful as ever descended like a ray of sunshine, her feet landed on the ground beside Veronica.

Elva Sunbelle looked at the thief and smiled. "Fancy seeing you here in my place, Veronica!" she said in amusement. "Are you going to steal my precious herbs?"

Veronica smiled brightly. "I'm so sorry for my intrusion in your sacred place my Goddess Elva! But this time, I'm in a pressing need to help someone that is why I didn't bother to ask for your permission," she said urgently.

Elva smiled. "Why are you in a hurry? Tell me about this friend of yours, why would he or she need the herbs?"

Veronica giggled. "Okay, I'll tell you about him as long your take the magical net away from me," she replied.

"Alright!" Elva said and waved her hand at the net, it magically disappeared into thin air. "Come to my abode, let's have a chat over there just like old times," she offered.

"You're not angry at me?" Veronica asked.

"Why I should be angry at you? You have not stolen anything yet," Elva erupted into a burst of witty laughter and walked away going to the hidden path where her house was located.

Veronica laughed as well. Right, she hasn't stolen anything yet to warrant the goddess's wrath. She followed the goddess to the hidden path, they disappeared behind the thick clouds.

There behind the clouds was a tall tree and underneath its shade was a beautiful house made of marbles.

The women entered the wooden door and disappeared inside.

Elva brought the visitor inside the living room of her beautiful abode and served her lemon tea using the teacup made of crystals. She lowered herself on the marble chair facing the visitor.

Veronica roamed her eyes around the area. The house still the same... breathtaking and beautiful... fitting for a beautiful thousand years old goddess-like Elva. "Your abode still magnificent, Goddess!" she commented casually.

"Thank you, but even if I offered you to stay here with me and become my companion you still refuse to stay with me. I even cured your eyes as long you will stay with me, but you still left!" Elva reminded her.

Veronica sighed. The deity still remembers everything! She picked up the cup and drink the tea. "Goddess, your home is beyond beautiful but honestly it's boring here! I can't stay at the top of the mountain seeing the same thing over and over again. I need a change of environment every now and then. I love exploring the world and see many different faces and races!" she repeated the same reason that she told her a long time ago when she bid goodbye to her after staying a few years in the Windless Mountain with the goddess.

She even offered the deity to come with her and they will explore the world together but the goddess refused her offer.

Her connection with the deity started during one of her travels and she landed on one of the mountains nearby when she saw an apple tree filled with red delicious apples. Tired of her journey, she settled under the shade of the apple tree eating apples, she was on her third apple when suddenly... she feels so sleepy, she can't fight the sleepiness and she falls asleep under the tree.

When she wakes up, she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes and saw a big bird trying to dig her left eyes with its beak...she can't move her arms and any parts of her body...she was frozen!

She lies on the ground, horrified and shocked until she saw complete darkness because the bird succeeded in plucking her two eyes, she became blind instantly. She heard the bird spreads its wings and flew away leaving her in extreme pain.

She noticed that she can finally move her body.

Due to the despair of losing both eyes, she screamed and cursed the birds who stole her eyes. She was sobbing hard under the shade of the tree.

That was also the time the Goddess Elva left her abode and visited the neighboring mountains and found the blind woman crying helplessly under the shade of the forbidden apple tree.

"Oh dear, what happened to you?" Elva asked in horror while staring at the bloody face of the woman and the empty socket of her eyes.

Veronica heard the soothing voice of a woman. "Somebody... please help me! The bird took my eyes away!" she screamed.

"I can't see any birds around here. But I will help you, I will bring you to my house and cure your wound," Elva offered.

"Thank you!" Veronica said, feeling grateful for the stranger's help.

Elva brought Veronica into her abode and nursed her back to health. She felt sorry for the blind woman, she can not return her missing eyes, therefore she decided to gift her a third eye and placed it in the center of her forehead allowing her to see again. The function of the third eye is like the function of her two missing eyes.

Veronica accepted the painful truth that she could never get back her eyes that were stolen by the bird. She was grateful for the third eye that the deity had given her, she still can see things normally but her look is hideous. She felt ashamed if somebody sees her odd-looking face that is why she always wore a veil on her face.

Out of gratitude, she stayed with the goddess and served her for several years as her companion. The deity introduces her to different herbs and their uses. She's already an accomplished alchemist in her own right and her knowledge expanded further during her stay beside the deity in the Windless Mountain.

But boredom took over one day. She's just not used to staying in one place, she needs to keep moving and traveling the whole world.

One day, she told the deity that she wants to go home, citing that she missed her family and friends and wants to visit them.

Elva saw through her lies. "Why are you lying to me? You don't have any families left! You only have one friend and that is that old healer in the mountain!"

Veronica sighed and spoke. "You're right. I'm sorry, Goddess! I'm getting bored here in your perfect place. I want to resume traveling in faraway places, please don't stop me!" she confessed.

Elva finally set her free after noticing that she is no longer happy staying in the mountain with her. It was a cold rainy day when she watched Veronica leaving her abode. She's the best companion that she ever had and she felt sad and reluctant to let her go. Now she's back in the mountain, this time to steal some herb from her garden.

"Tell me, are you here for a visit or to steal some herbs?" she asked her visitor.

"I came for both!" Veronica smiled brightly.

"Good! Will you stay for a day or two just like old times?" Elva asked.

"Yes, I will!" Veronica agreed.

Elva smiled. "So... tell me what are the herbs for?" she asked curiously.

"It's for the friend of my friend, 'coz he needs help," Veronica replied.

"Can you show me the face of that person? I need to know first if he or she is deserving of my herbs? If that person is deserving I will give you lots of herbs, you don't have to steal from me," Elva said.

"Sure!" Veronica said. She closed her third eye and waved her hand while facing the wall.

A few minutes later, the image of Graven's devilishly handsome face appeared on the wall.

Elva stared intensely at the image of the handsome guy, her eyes wide open. She was mesmerized and captivated by his handsome face. Her heart starts beating wildly in her rib cage.

Her heart never beats this way for any guy for a thousand years! Only now!

She eyed him closely. He doesn't look like an ordinary human to her.

Veronica's third eye opened and freeze Graven's handsome image on the wall. She looked at the deity and saw the goddess looking profoundly at the image on the wall. She smiled a bit. "Goddess, do you think he is worth helping? What do you think?"

Elva reluctantly tore her eyes away from the image and looked at her visitor. "What's his name?" she asked.

"His name is Graven..."

"What's his origin?" Elva continues to inquire about the handsome guy, she's very much interested to know everything about him. It's hard to ignore the frantic beating of her heart. She never felt this way before, she's excited for a guy!

"According to my friend, he is a crossbred, an offspring between a demon princess and vampire king," Veronica answered.

"Interesting!" Elva replied, her eyes shimmering.

"So... what do you think? Is he worthy of your herbs?" Veronica asked again.

Elva smiled. "Sure! By the way, what are you going to do with the herbs?" she asked curiously.

"Graven's wife was abducted and he can't find her, his enemy might be using a concealing method to hide his wife's scent, so I need to create a powder that he can spread all over the town that will bypass the concealing method... allowing him to locate his wife's scent. The Cheacuri herbs are the only thing missing in my creation. That is why I'm here," Veronica explained.

"I see... no worries, I will help you get the herbs in the garden tomorrow in the morning," Elva replied.

Veronica's eyes glowed in happiness. "Thank you, Goddess!"

"Don't mention it. I'm going to my room, feel yourself at home," Elva responded and walked towards her room.

Inside her room.

Elva waved her hand at the wall and Graven's handsome face appeared frozen, staring at her intensely.

She smiled and giggled.

She went to bed and sat down, she continues gazing at Graven's face, truly mesmerized by his looks.

Then her mouth opened...

"I want to have your child inside my womb, Graven!" she declared loudly. She lay her body down on the bed, smiling mischievously. She closed her eyes and imagined him making love wildly to her, in her bed, all day and all night long.

Fantastic!

She suddenly felt alive after a long long time!