The Awakened Mage: Saving The Realms With My Crush!

The air hung thick and heavy, a miasma of decaying vegetation and the lingering stench of something vaguely reptilian. Hunter, still buzzing from their victory over the grotesque swamp creature – a battle that had involved significantly more mud than either of them had anticipated – surveyed their meager campsite. Iris, meanwhile, was wrestling with a sputtering fire and a collection of questionable swamp vegetables. Let's just say the culinary skills she'd demonstrated in the village bakery hadn't quite translated to the wilds of the Whispering Marshes.

"Right, then," Iris muttered, poking at a particularly stubborn root with a stick. "Just need to…uh…add a dash of…something." She peered into a pouch, pulling out a handful of brightly coloured berries that looked suspiciously like they might induce hallucinations. "Maybe these?"

Hunter suppressed a chuckle. Iris, with her fierce determination and unwavering focus in battle, was utterly endearing in her complete ineptitude when it came to anything remotely domestic. It was a stark contrast to her battlefield prowess that made her seem almost human, approachable. The sight of her wrestling with a cooking fire was a far cry from the stoic, almost intimidating archer he usually saw.

A plume of grey smoke billowed from the fire, causing Iris to cough and splutter. "Perhaps not," she conceded, abandoning the berries. The root she was attempting to chop was proving to be equally stubborn and she huffed, tossing it into the fire in frustration.

"Need a hand?" Hunter offered, a grin playing on his lips. He'd always been more comfortable around a cooking fire than a battlefield. His mother had taught him well, and he found a strange sense of calm in the rhythmic chopping and stirring.

Iris, her face flushed from exertion and smoke inhalation, hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine," she admitted, her voice surprisingly soft. "But don't think this means I'm admitting defeat."

Hunter chuckled, taking over the culinary disaster with practiced ease. He added more kindling to the fire, creating a more manageable blaze. He then began to meticulously clean and chop the swamp vegetables, separating the edible from the…less edible. He hummed a cheerful tune as he worked, his magic subtly enhancing his knife skills, making the task even quicker and more precise. The aroma of something vaguely resembling stew began to waft through the air, a vast improvement over the previous smoky, slightly toxic fumes.

As he worked, Hunter watched Iris. She was sitting on a log, arms crossed, watching him with a mixture of curiosity and grudging admiration. He knew this was a rare chance to connect with her on a more personal level and wanted to grab it. This wasn't a mere cooking session; this was a quiet moment of shared humanity in a world full of monsters and mayhem.

"So," he began casually, "All this... crystal hunting. It's not just about stopping the Beast King, is it?"

Iris's gaze snapped to him, her expression unreadable. The firelight flickered across her face, highlighting the sharp angles of her jawline and the determined set of her mouth. For a moment, he thought she wouldn't answer, that she'd retreat into her usual stoic silence.

Then, she sighed, a soft sound that seemed almost out of character. "It's…complicated," she admitted. "But part of it is proving something."

"Proving what?" Hunter asked gently, carefully adding some herbs he'd foraged earlier to the stew.

"That I'm…strong enough," Iris said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Strong enough to protect everyone. Strong enough to make a difference." She paused, fiddling with the strap of her quiver. "I lost someone to the Beast King," she confessed, her voice cracking slightly. "A friend of mine growing up, Liam. He was supposed to be the strong one, the protector. He wasn't strong enough."

Hunter's heart ached for her. He'd glimpsed a hint of this vulnerability before, but this was the first time she'd openly shared such a deep wound. It felt like an honour that she'd chosen to share this with him.

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, a gesture of empathy rather than anything romantic. "I'm so sorry, Iris," he said softly. "Losing someone like that...it changes you."

She nodded, her eyes downcast. "He was the best archer in the village at the time. He always said I had potential but I never thought I could live up to his expectations."

"You're a far better archer than Liam ever was," Hunter said with absolute sincerity, "He would be incredibly proud."

Iris looked up, surprised. A slight smile flickered across her lips. "Really?"

Hunter grinned. "Absolutely. You're one of the most skilled archers I've ever seen. Fast, precise, and with an uncanny ability to anticipate your opponent's movements." He paused, then added, "Besides, you're already proving yourself. You've faced down some truly nasty creatures and you haven't flinched yet. And now this… amazing… stew." He added, a playful smirk on his face.

Iris laughed, a genuine, full-bodied laugh that chased away the shadows in her eyes. "It's not that bad," she admitted, a playful glint in her eyes. "It might actually be... edible."

They ate the surprisingly delicious swamp stew in comfortable silence, the crackling fire casting dancing shadows on their faces. The unspoken understanding between them deepened, a bond forged not just in shared battles, but in shared vulnerability and mutual respect. Hunter knew their relationship wasn't romantic, and he had to be content with the friendship he was developing with Iris. Knowing he was close to her, knowing they worked so well together, was a source of strength and comfort as he looked out at the starlit sky. The crystals and the Beast King felt less important now, overshadowed by the quiet warmth that had bloomed between two unlikely companions in the heart of the Whispering Marshes. The night felt less lonely, and as Hunter watched Iris, he knew this journey wasn't just about slaying monsters; it was about finding strength in unexpected places, and forging bonds that were stronger than any magic.

"We should get some sleep." Iris mumbled after eating something which was edible, "Tomorrow where heading west, by sun down we'll finally get out of this awful swamp. Something tells me we'll be encountering way more powerful monsters."

"Like the Mug-hag." Hunter said, putting aside his now empty plate.

"Yeah, we'll do our best to gather as much crystals as we can. Let's try not to absorb any of them when we do, we have to give them to the Elders." Iris said, stifling a yawn. "They'll know how to use it to protect Oakhaven from the Beast king."

"And we'll be heroes, everyone will adore us." Hunter put in.

Iris chuckled as she laid down on her futon, "We're not in just for the glory, Dragon. This is for the greater good."

"Sure, but imagine how many villages will hear the tale of our brave deeds from far and wide!" Hunter said with a grin, "they'll sing song about us for centuries! The Beast king will tremble when he hears our names!"

Iris chuckled once more as she shook her head, Hunter's heart swelled at the sight of her amused expression.

'Beautiful.' He thought, almost drowning at the sight of her twinkling emerald gaze.

"Go to sleep, Hunter." She said.

And he did just that.

With a smile on his face of course.