BE SMART AND DON'T ATTACK THE DRAGON

(first day of practice!)

Lutsen Morgen

It was an overcast day, with a slight nip in the air. Lutsen had woken up a few hours earlier to wax his bow. It would not be good if he gave a bad first impression. An unwaxed bow string could snap, and the snap could recoil and permanently injure you. That would most definitely not be the way to go. Lutsen understood that he would be expected to kill. He was ready for this. He would do what was needed to protect Mondstadt. This had always been the case in his family, each member ready to help Mondstadt in their own way. Some had fought invading forces, others devoted themselves to Barbatos.

Lutsen was not the first Morgen to become a knight. He wasn't even the first to do so with a vision. He was the first with an anemo vision. He would make his family proud.

;

Amber was already at the statue waiting when he arrived. She grinned at him.

"Hi! I'm Amber, Outrider of The Knights of Favonius! I look forward to working with you. Let's get started, follow me to Starfell Lake and I'll go over your duties as an Outrider in training."

She then set off at a jog to the city gates. Lutsen was surprised at how she didn't even wait to make sure he followed. He raced after her, he had never been to Starfell Lake. Lutsen had always been a lone hunter, but he also made sure he was close to home in case his family needed him. He was always worried about the possibility of hilichurls. They were adorable, nothing could change that, but they were also bloodthirsty menaces. He wondered why they had such a craving for chaos. They could easily settle down and become farmers. That didn't take too much brain power, even little kids could enjoy growing cute flowers.

The run to Starfell Lake was a long one by a normal citizen's standards, but Amber and Lutsen spent a lot of time outdoors. They arrived quickly, and Lutsen saw that Amber had set up an obstacle course around the lake. It looked tough, and he realized Amber knew what she was doing. She wasn't a knight because the Grandmaster had taken pity on her, she had actually earned it. This surprised him, but not as much as it would surprise his little sister. She had never even dreamed of getting into the knights. Perhaps telling her about the young outrider would convince her to work towards it?

Amber explained the course to him, and made it seem like it should be very easy. With that smile of hers, anyone would assume they were about to go on a stroll. The reality had much more opportunity for getting wet and knocking his head on things.

;

A painful amount of time later:

Lutsen groaned, and flopped down onto the ground. He had successfully completed the course twice. TWICE, and he had been at it for hours. Oh, and judging by the look on Amber's face he still had more training to go through today. What next, did he have to climb dragonspine, glide across the gorge? It was no matter of course, he would do it. He would do it and he would do it again until he succeeded.

"Hey trainee, you did great! Most people decide they weren't meant for the Knights after they start training. You would be surprised how much this helps though, I promise it's useful! If you're capable of standing we should walk back to Mondstadt and get something to eat! I can keep explaining our job as we go!"

Ah, that's right. Amber had been lecturing him on what exactly an Outrider did on a daily basis. Apparently, once he finished his training he would have to scout the area around Mondstadt every day and kill any enemies he found. He also would be responsible for escorting visiting persons and outgoing parties. His job consisted of little categories, but each category had many nuances. Such as how to treat one of the Liyue Qixing versus one of the Adepti.

She led him slowly back to Mondstadt, cheerfully detailing what would be expected of him. When she seemed to run out of things to tell him about his new job, she started giving him lots of information about Mondstadt. What to eat, where to eat, how much things should cost if you aren't being scammed, where to find the most helpful things in Mondstadt, etc etc. She never stopped talking, when she exhausted one subject she moved on to the next. Her favorite food, her family, recent gossip. She became more subdued when she spoke of all the destruction Stormterror had caused. She warned him not to draw attention to himself if he happened to encounter the beast. Lutsen was concerned that she even had to tell him not to face off against it. It was a dragon for Celestia's sake!

He wondered whether anyone had ever tried to kill Stormterror. Perhaps that was why Amber felt the need to tell him to RUN AWAY if he saw Stormterror. He made up an image on his mind of a lone knight facing off against an angry dragon. It chilled his bones to think about.

The way back to Mondstadt was lively, they passed a few merchants and other travelers on the road. They got some food and she led him back out into the wilderness to test his archery skills. She also spent time observing his spacial awareness and stealth abilities.

;

It was dark when Amber released him for the day. She told him to meet her by the statue again the next morning. She would explain his schedule then. Lutsen had rented a room in the nearby inn, but he didn't want to go back yet. Maybe he would go to the Angel's Share and see what more he could learn about the bard Venti. How could a person so young be held in such high regard from the Acting Grandmaster herself? He was an amazing bard, had an anemo vision, had also somehow managed to get Diluc to sell him wine, and so far as he knew Venti had only existed for about three years. Nobody had heard of him before, it was odd. Surely someone should have heard of such a master bard before he arrived in Mondstadt?

Well, people could have their secrets. It was the city of freedom after all.

-;-

Thanks for reading my junk!, I promise I exist even if i forget to post