Chapter 8: Fallen Gods

"There must be some kind of secret art or technique that you are not informing me about, I refuse to believe that you know nothing of note that would qualify you as my future rival!"

"Hmm...I can tell you all the things mommy taught me?"

Mona looked relieved at that admission, heaving out a sigh before smiling in encouragement, announcing, "Yes, please do so."

"Okay! Let's see, mommy taught me how to brush my teeth, control my hair, tie my shoes, count to a hundred, stay hydrated, make sandwiches, create Jumpty Dumpties-"

"Stop, stop!"

Appearing to be on the verge of tears the astrologist wearily asked, "Dare I ask what a Jumpty Dumpty is?"

"Oh, those are explosives mommy taught me how to make! They make really loud and pretty explosions!"

"...Your mother taught you how to perform basic self-maintenance and craft high explosives?!"

Klee beamed, replying, "Not just any high explosives, the best high explosives~!"

"But, but...but surely there must be something that your mother taught you that she wouldn't have imparted to anyone else, right?!"

Klee cupped her chin, unleashing a noise of deep contemplation before cautiously stating, "Mommy said if I started liking boys or girls as more than friends and bleeding between my legs I should ask Miss Jean or Lisa-"

"That kind of knowledge should best remain hidden, thank you!"

Alec and Lumine grinned from where they watched the duo interact a fair few paces in front of them, Paimon also giggling at the interplay.

"I give it another hour before Mona cracks. The high-strung ones always do when faced with someone like the kid."

"Agreed 100%. Bets, Paimon? How long before she starts tearing out her own hair?"

"Paimon would bet three servings of honey roast that it's in forty minutes!"

"Deal."

Rolling his eyes at the duo's gluttonous tendencies Alec simply enjoyed the breeze and roiling hills of Mondstadt's wilderness, idly asking, "So what makes you think that I'm similar to Barbatos, a veritable god? To be quite honest I'm offended that I was compared to him in even the slightest."

The Traveler grinned, replying, "Well part of it is stuff just like that. Have you heard the way you and he talk to each other? Everyone was walking on eggshells or at least attempting to be somewhat respectful while the both of you bickered like a married old couple."

Paimon snickered, singing, "Alec and Venti, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!"

Giving the sprite a bland expression Alec growled, "For the sake of both our sanities never imply we're that chummy with each other. It's hard enough being in the same room, never mind having to live with the other."

Lumine grinned, stating, "You say that but that's not the impression I get, you two really seem to care about each other. I mean, who else would you be so hostile and confrontational with other than someone you're 100% comfortable with?"

"A person you hate?"

Lumine and Paimon gave him unimpressed looks, the male shrugging with a slight smile tugging his lips as the Traveler skipped in front of him, lacing her hands behind her back and walking backwards as he dryly commented, "If you trip and fall I'm not catching you."

"Pfft, I'm way too coordinated to trip and fall over this kind of smooth landscape-shit!"

The blonde flailed as she toppled backwards, Alec darting forward with a smooth movement and catching her in his arms-

-and instantly sighed as Lumine merely gave him a cheshire grin, glance backwards revealing absolutely nothing for her to have tripped across.

"Not gonna catch me, huh~?"

"Guess not. I will drop you though."

He effortlessly pulled her upright, the duo continuing their walk as the male mused, "You're quite the devious little trickster. And sooner or later I'm going to remember that."

"Sure you will. And back to what we were talking about it wasn't any one thing but more like a chain of them all one after another."

"Oh? Do tell."

Lumine seemed all too happy to comply, Cupping her elbow with one hand while the other extended a finger upwards, Paimon copying the gesture as the Traveler continued her backwards stroll with nary a missed step.

He was half tempted to quicken his pace and see if he could get the shorter woman to stumble backwards in earnest.

"Well the first clue - and one that was only obvious in hindsight with the addition of other information - was that you knew about Mondstadt only from the perspective of someone who had visited a long time ago. Some things like the landscape and such you were confidant about while more specific items you needed Paimon's help with."

Amber eyes glittering with a sleuth's fever Lumine added, "Of course that on its own wouldn't mean much, if anything it supported the story that you're one of those Adepti or whatever."

"Yeah, Paimon and Lumine both thought you were suspicious from the start!"

Alec merely motioned for her to continue, the blonde and her sprite companion sharing confirming nods.

"Paimon thought it was strange you seemed so familiar with how an Archon's ability worked, even though some of those things Paimon didn't know herself!"

"Precisely. And here's where we get into things that can't be so easily explained by you being an Adeptus, since from what it sounds like Adepti are subordinate or different from Archons, not the same. Paimon may have some pretty big flaws-"

"H-hey, what does that mean?!"

"-but as a guide she's been right on the money, if she hadn't known something or heard a different version of the story I'd be way more willing to believe her than the newcomer."

The sprite seemed slightly mollified at that, Alec seeming more and more intrigued by their conclusions.

"Next up is a couple of small but meaningful things. You've got this fatherly or paternal air to you, albeit one that extends to everybody. Sure, you treated people like Jean and Diluc with respect but it was a professional respect...and you definitely weren't above cracking a joke or ignoring them if it came down to it."

Lumine shrugged, clarifying, "We could chalk that up to being the age of an Adepti, sure...but you also knew about Dvalin's past and circumstances before we'd even heard the name Stormterror and what was happening in Mondstadt. Which becomes a little suspicious when you account for the fact that the Adepti apparently never leave Liyue, or at least not for very long."

Paimon affirmedly nodded her head, adding, "Paimon supposes you could have heard of Dvalin's trouble or history from other travelers...but hardly anybody in Mondstadt remembered or knew what was happening, that seemed strange!"

The Traveler ceased her backwards walk, falling in at Alec's side as she announced, "And then here's the big one, the one that really clued me in...your behavior and actions with Barbatos."

"That so? Well fill me in so I have another reason to yell at him."

Lumine did so, stating, "Well in all reality there isn't much to tell. Practically everything you two did or talked about was a giant red flag. Your ease of speaking to an Archon, past history that you often reminisced about, immediate plan to steal a historical artifact like it was the simplest thing in the world, utterly bizarre look you two shared when deciding to tell everyone that you were supposedly an Adeptus...when you factor it all together it begins to make sense."

Lumine poked him in the side, concluding, "Apparently Adepti are rarely even seen in Liyue, never mind other places. And even the ones not fully blooded are prized or placed highly among them. Not to mention they sound subordinate to Archons, not equal. And yet here you are, bantering and practically bullying the Anemo Archon as if you were his older brother or something. Doesn't sound very Adeptus to me."

She retracted the poking finger in favor of pointing it upwards, grinning as she stated, "Thus, in conclusion, you are way more likely to be an Archon than you are an Adeptus. Or at least something similar to an Archon."

The trio stared each other down, not making so much as a sound even as they continued their walk...and Alec felt his lips quirk upwards in a smile he had no control over.

"Beauty, brawn and brains. Anything else you're packing in there, young lady?"

To his surprise the Traveler appeared mildly bashful, kicking aside a stray rock as she mumbled, "Well, it was easy to notice these things when it was you and Paimon who were all I really had when first coming to this world...I paid attention to everything you two did with a very keen eye. You would have had to try pretty hard for me not to notice anything."

"Aww, Lumine…"

Paimon's touched response coincided with Alec giving the Traveler's shoulder a brief squeeze, replying, "Well you put in the legwork, seems only fair to answer your investigation with the candidness it deserves."

He stared ahead, idly watching Mona and Klee continue to discuss some topic or another, oblivious to their conversation.

"I used to be a god, it's true. Certainly not one as well known as those who would become the Seven - or even those that marched against them - but I had a loyal enough following spread across Teyvat and other lands, enough to be known among some circles."

His gaze turned distant, Lumine recognizing the look on his features as one that people who had lived for a long time often sported when their minds were cast backwards, recalling events or people who history had all but forgotten.

"Time marches on, as inexorable as the rising and falling of the sun. And with that march comes change, new paradigms and fresh outlooks. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Perhaps hopeful or even horrific."

His eyes drifted closed, tone wistful and perhaps even bitter.

"I inevitably fell from providence when a battle I picked turned sour, my followers scattered, hunted and eventually buried as I lost the strength I once wielded."

With a slight shrug - as if the trials and tribulations he had suffered were of little interest or consequence - he added, "But that relative obscurity and other factors meant I survived where other gods may have fallen, only my foe and a few others aware of my survival. And while I was eventually defeated it was not without cost to the enemy, since they evidently couldn't pursue. Now? Now I wander Teyvat looking to offer my aid and assistance where it may be appreciated or can make a difference."

Alec turned to his two companions-

-and blinked, caught off guard by the depressed expressions they wore.

"Err, you do realize these events have long since passed, right? There's no real reason to get upset over it."

Lumine scowled, hotly retorting, "What, I'm not allowed to be sad on your behalf?"

"Be sad all you want but do bear in mind that watching you grieve and regret over my own decisions and past actions is by no means reassuring or comforting."

"Asshole."

"Not the worst thing I've ever been called."

The Traveler kicked Alec in his right shin, prompting a raised eyebrow from the amused male as Paimon asked, "But, but how does a god fall, exactly? Paimon knows of gods that have been defeated in battle or imprisoned that 'fall' but apparently none of those have happened to you...and why haven't you tried to gain followers yet?"

Narrowing his eyes in contemplation Alec explained, "There are a myriad of ways a god can fall and not all of them involve being cast down in a contest of strength of arms. Betrayal, loss, indifference, rebellion, grief, madness...gods are every bit as human as the people they're worshiped by and our emotions are no more predictable or stable than yours. Suffice to say it wasn't just being defeated that lead to my loss of influence."

"Well...well what was it then? Paimon thinks you're really calm and easygoing, it's hard to imagine you losing your cool or anything like that!"

A look of such sheer discomfort that it was almost a tangible thing appeared on Alec's features, both Lumine and Paimon recoiling at the visceral reaction as the man quietly replied, "If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to keep that to myself. At least for now."

The sprite fervently nodded her head while Lumine hesitantly wrapped his fingers in hers, hoping the gesture meant more than words could hope to achieve.

"If that day ever comes when you feel comfortable I'm all ears. After all…"

She tried for a playful smile.

"I'm pretty accepting of people's quirks and eccentricities. Just look at Fischl."

A snort left Alec, tone grateful even as he replied, "If that day ever comes, unfortunately, then I imagine we'll have bigger problems on our hands."

While she could tell that his words were about as far away from joking as could be Lumine nonetheless tried for some levity, joking, "Boy, you sure do love being all cryptic and mysterious, don't you?"

Recognizing the jest for what it was and deciding to answer in kind Alec mused, "Well not all of us have natural beauty and inspirational tales sung by bards dogging our footsteps, Lumine. Some of us have to rely on mystery to appear even mildly attractive in comparison."

Smirking at his words the Traveler cheekily replied, "Careful, Alec. Flattery will get you everywhere~!"

The trio shared mutual grins as the seriousness of their previous conversation was put on hold in favor of a more relaxed and ultimately comfortable atmosphere.

"Are the two of you in a relationship? Because that honestly seems to be the most obvious conclusion I can draw from your interactions."

Turning to see Mona and Klee staring at them even as they continued their trek Alec shrugged, commenting, "I guess even astrologists get some things wrong then."

Lumine laced her hands behind her back, cheerily remarking, "I suppose it's just a sign of how close we are that people just assume that, hmm~?"

Paimon threw in her own perspective on things, stating, "Paimon thinks it's a match made in Heaven!"

"Yeah, I dunno if that's the best kind of place to use as a basis for a happily ever after…"

The gruff statement from the man had Lumine arching her eyebrow, deciding to keep his mind off of obviously depressing matters as she stated, "You know maybe we should give it a shot. I mean, how many people can be wrong in a row before it starts turning out that we're the ones in denial?"

"And here I thought you had your eyes set on Fischl. Besides, you're still a little too young for me."

Still not clued in to Lumine's status as an otherworldly traveler with a fair few years under her belt the astrologist raised an eyebrow, commenting, "Unless you wish to restrict yourself to perhaps a few dozen individuals across all of Teyvat I doubt you'll find yourself with very many prospective partners who are of a similar age to you. Your Adeptus bloodline all but ensures you had best grow accustomed to dating people younger than you."

Alec let his eyes lazily rest upon a confused but highly curious Klee, ears twitching and eyes barely so much as blinking as she followed the conversation.

"Oh for-you know what I meant! Goodness, have some class…"

"Not my fault you didn't clarify your statement."

Mona crossed her arms, halting their forward momentum as she sent Alec a narrowed glare.

"Mental maturity is a very different thing than physical maturity and I think you know that. Would you describe the acting Grand Master of Mondstadt as 'too young'? She runs the protective arm of an entire city."

Not withering under the young woman's rebuttal Alec merely responded, "Ah, mental maturity. So you're excluded then, right? Or am I thinking of a different person who was so stubborn that she was willing to turn away a meal even when her stomach protested otherwise?"

A crimson flush adorned the astrologist's pale skin, voice gaining a higher pitch as she protested, "T-that is not even close to the same thing!"

"Ooh, this sounds funny, what happened?"

Lumine predictably poured fuel onto the fire that was Mona's distress, Alec grinning as she explained, "Well you see I first found her sitting in a corner of the Dawn Winery, all alone and-"

"C-cease and desist your inane ramblings, are you not the one who accused me of being immature and childish?! What is this playground mud slinging?!"

Chuckling to himself Lumine found her own mood uplifted, happy that her companion was once again acting cheerful and at peace.

"...Although it's definitely been awhile since someone who knew just how old I actually was said I was 'too young' for anything. Geez, that's a novel experience. And kind of annoying. Bet he wouldn't be calling me young if he knew the 'arcane' knowledge I possessed when it came to the bedroom...heh heh heh~."

Their journey continued for a fair bit longer, the group nearing the location of where Klee said she had buried their target of interest when a familiar sight swooped down from up above, wings flaring as he alighted upon Lumine's shoulder.

"We have word from those investigating the whereabouts of these 'Tears of Dvalin'. Do you perchance have a map available?"

At Oz's request Klee pulled out a gigantic map of Mondstadt from her pack, the Night Raven pecking lightly at a location not far from where Klee had been leading them towards, informing the group with, "Miss Lisa approximated this would be the best location to begin your search, with a margin of error no more than thirty minutes brisk walk in either direction."

"Ooh, this spot isn't anymore than an hour from where I have my buried treasure! That's lucky!"

Klee's comment had Alec nodding in affirmation, stating, "Well that settles it. We'll head to get the Tear once we've settled Mona's business. Thanks for the information, Oz."

"Think nothing of it, friends. Now I shall be off, other groups are also in need of further news."

Lumine gave the ethereal-looking bird a scratch under the chin, remarking, "Tell Fischl I said hello and that I miss her, alright?"

"...In the most amicable and intimate of ways, am I correct?"

The Traveler grinned, replying, "Of course! And do so in a crowded place, if at all possible. I'm sure she'll blush up a storm and basically be the cutest thing around."

"Hey, Paimon doesn't like being relegated to second-cutest!"

Alec rolled his eyes at the byplay, giving the Night Raven a friendly nod as the bird took to the skies, still chuckling at the blonde's instructions as Klee shouted, "Bye bye, bird friend!"

Mona crossed her arms, cocking a hip as she archly asked, "Do I even wish to inquire as to the purpose of your instructions to tease a professed friend?"

"You haven't ever had many friends, have you?"

Lumine's blunt words caused Mona to sputter, blushing in indignation as she protested, "O-of course I have friends, I am not so inept in the social arts as to have utterly no outside contacts whatsoever, thank you very much!"

Lumine grinned like a hound smelling prey, opening her mouth to follow up the conversation-

-and Alec lightly chopped her on the back of the head, halting the Traveler's follow up as he announced, "We can talk and walk at the same time, kids. C'mon, the sooner we complete our errands the sooner we can be back in Mondstadt and enjoying a nice meal."

"Ooh, Paimon likes that idea!"

Lumine also perked at the offer, the duo of gourmets predictably resuming the trek as Klee giggled, pointing at the group as she said, "You're all funny! I'd like to go on more adventures with all of you again!"

Mona merely released a long-suffering sigh, quietly whispering, "Why me with this band of ragamuffins and crazy people?"

"Get used to it, young lady. If we're going to be your first ever friends best be learning that friends demand a great deal of commitment and acceptance of insanity."

The astrologist simply glared at his insinuation, Alec smirking as he led the way forward once more.

"Hmm...not here? No, not there either...maybe over here? Oh, here it is!"

Beaming in triumph the young girl tossed aside another bunch of dirt with a small shovel she'd pulled from her pack, hauling out a fairly sized wooden box before wiping away some of the soil covering it.

"I found your box, miss Mona! Is the treasure you wanted so badly inside of it?"

"Only one way to find out..."

Unlatching the simple but effective lock on the thing Lumine, Paimon and Alec watched from a few steps away, eying the proceedings with curious gazes as the astrologist pulled what looked like a reasonably thick tome or journal from the interior.

"Bets it's actually what she needs?"

Lumine tapped her lip in thought, musing, "As willful and slightly crazy as she seems I doubt Klee is the type to get her things mixed up? What day it is? Probably. Where her tools and other stuff are placed? Doubt it."

"Yeah, Paimon thinks this will be mission accomplished and we can then go get that Tear and head back to Mondstadt~!"

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

Pointing to where Mona was flipping through the pages with increasingly desperate and frustrated movements the astrologist huffed out an agitated breath, commenting, "Is there some manner of cypher or cryptology key that accompanies this? Why would my master write in such ludicrous code, is there some kind of terrible secret or forbidden technique hidden within?"

Their attention piqued and Klee seeming fairly lost as to how to reply Alec and Lumine drew close, the man asking, "Well what does it say inside? Maybe we can figure out a common theme."

"Ugh, I suppose...honestly, this is just absurd."

Flipping to a random page Mona began to read aloud, "Today I found out that Staril was seeing Beatrix behind my back and, of course, I went ahead and read their future from the stars, gleefully anticipating that he would crawl back to me once the slut was provably inferior."

"What does slut mean?"

"Ask Jean when we get back to Mondstadt. Or Kaeya."

Alec's response was immediate, he and Lumine sharing a glance as they had an inkling of where this was going, Mona continuing with, "Damnably, that wasn't the case. For some unfathomably preposterous reason he was meant to have a bright and happy future with the woman of his dreams. Naturally, I performed a false reading that would suggest that the two of them...oh for-what does any of this mean?!"

Growing increasingly agitated Alec opened his mouth to calm the woman down-

-and grunted as Lumine violently elbowed him in the ribs, gleefully anticipating the moment of realization.

"And what about this passage here? I cannot even begin to fathom how Alice manages to drink and sleep around the way she does, that woman is not only explosive in craft but also stamina...four men! And she left them practically drained while downing hard liquor after hard liquor, not throwing up even once despite swallowing their...their…"

Mona gagged, hysterically proclaiming, "What IS this tripe?! How am I supposed to glean any meaning from this?!"

Alec swiftly pinned Lumine's arms behind her back before she could stop him again, calmly stating, "Mona, that's your teacher's diary you're reading."

"..."

"..."

"...What?"

Eyes rapidly flicking between Alec's blunt honesty and the book Mona didn't immediately respond...and promptly went green in the face, dry heaving as she began to ramble, "N-no, that's absurd, this can't be, I didn't mean to...WHAT?!"

The astrologist dropped the collection of paper like it was a cursed treasure, Pulling on her twintails and pacing back-and-forth like a caged animal as she muttered, "No, this is impossible! Oh no, that old hag will be able to tell I've read it, she always knows when I'm lying! No, it's all right, I just need to wait a few years until she dies and then everything should..oh who am I fooling, that old hag will outlive everyone!"

At some point during the minor meltdown Klee had taken refuge behind Lumine, peeking out from behind the Traveler with a frightened expression, asking, "Am...am I in trouble?"

Happily ignoring Alec's annoyed glare sent her way Lumine gently massaged the girl's scalp, cooing, "No, you did everything you were supposed to do, Mona's just working through some issues, okay?"

Quietly sighing and taking it upon himself to fix things Alec approached the pacing and borderline insane astrologer, bringing her frantic and frenetic motions to a screeching halt as he gently but firmly poker her in the forehead, prompting a yelp of protest as he commented, "Easy does it there, take a deep breath and walk us through what this crisis is."

Doing just that - along with a stern glare sent Alec's way that was definitely not a pout - Mona replied, "That hag of a woman I've had the dubious honor of calling my teacher gave me explicit instructions merely to retrieve her journal and bring it back, not to read it. And because she is such an infuriatingly good detector of lies and deception she will know without a doubt that I read her softcore erotica masquerading as a diary and dispense judgement accordingly. I cannot return to her, it will be the end of me!"

"Okay...so why not just stay in Mondstadt for awhile and send her back the diary through mail or something?"

Mona blinked, obviously not having considered such an option in her terror.

"You're already doing good work for the Knights of Favonius, ask them if there's a job opening or place of practice they can point you towards or recommend, that's at least a start, right?"

Pausing for a good few seconds the young woman eventually sagged, taking a deep breath and replying, "Yes...yes you're right."

Squaring her thin shoulders and clearing her throat the astrologist turned to the group at large, stating, "My apologies for such an unseemly outburst, that's quite unlike me."

Bending down and gingerly retrieving the diary with a disgusted look the young woman grumbled, "It seems, for the moment, my business is concluded. We may depart for our next objective whenever you so please."

Klee tenderly leaned out from the cover provided by Lumine, warily asking, "Are...are you mad at me for bringing you here?"

For a moment irritation flashed across Mona's features at the hesitant question-

-and it dissipated as quickly as it came, the young woman huffing out a breath as she stated, "No, you did exactly as requested of you, Klee. If there exist any fault I suppose it would be mine, for so blindly opening and reading a chronicle who's content I had no knowledge of."

"Oh, okay…"

The pointy-eared girl trotted out from behind the Traveler's position, happily asking, "Do you want me to set off a Jumpty Dumpty? They always make me feel happy when they explode!"

"Er, no, that's quite all right...but thank you, Klee."

Returning to where Lumine and Paimon were watching the proceedings Alec found the smaller female giving him an amused smirk, commenting, "You really have the dad act down to a science, don't you?"

"I have to when I'm traveling with such a problem child."

"Guilty as charged!"

"So we have to be drawing close at this point, right? I mean we've been walking for quite some time and I don't think Lisa's predictions would be that far off the mark, even with the margin of error she provided."

"No way to tell for certain unless we continue our search, this thing has to be around here somewhere. Paimon, any chance you can just fly high up and tell us if you see anything?"

"Paimon is ready to serve! Up and away!"

The sprite took to the skies while the rest of the group surveyed the area they had been pointed towards with a keen eye, having reached their destination in good time while the sun was only just beginning its slow decline towards the horizon, providing a steady source of illumination for them to make use of.

"Oh, I think I found it~!"

Klee's excited shout coincided with the girl pointing towards a distant tree, its roots glowing an angry red hue that almost blended into the natural illumination as Mona affirmatively nodded, commenting, "That certainly seems to be the source of our target, I can sense its abrasive aura even from this distance. Shall we?"

Klee made to run off towards the Tear-

-and came up short as Alec set a restraining hand on her shoulder, eyes narrowed as he scanned their surroundings with his lips curled into a thin line.

"Alec? Is there something up?"

"Yeah...call it a feeling. Be on your guard, something's not right here."

Lumine elected not to question his words, manifesting her blade as Klee and Mona just seemed confused by his caution, the male glancing upwards to where Paimon was doing her scouting...and cursed as the tiny Sprite suddenly waved her arms in a frantic motion, diving towards them as if to head off some kind of approaching threat.

"DOWN!"

In one smooth motion Alec swept Lumine's feet from beneath her, the Traveler caught off guard by his action as he grabbed Mona and Klee, throwing them atop of Lumine before covering all three of them with his body, the same orange glow he'd earlier used to blunt their weapons covering them-

-and the ground around them exploded with several sharp detonations, ears left ringing as the worst of the assault was deflected by Alec's swift movements.

Without further comment the man rolled off of the squashed trio, his armor and clothing adorned with shrapnel and cuts but other than that was left completely unharmed, Lumine also jumping to her feet as Klee and Mona were slightly slower to respond, no doubt unused to the ferocity of such an ambush.

"Incline a hundred paces away, there!"

Snapping out of her shock Klee instantly zeroed in on where Alec was pointing, a small rise with a few concealing trees on it as she shouted, "Target spotted~!"

An array of Elemental phenomena appeared at the girl's back, wavering with released heat as it aimed itself towards the location pointed out-

-and a blast of flame lanced towards their ambushers, impacting the concealed rise and turned it into a fast expanding cloud of dirt and rock as the group blinked in shock at the power of the tiny girl's Vision.

"Nice work, Klee. Stay sharp though, no telling if these things are-"

"E-everyone watch out, there's more of them coming!"

Paimon swooped down from above, eyes wide with panic as several flashes of light manifested around the group, Abyss Mages and what both Klee and Mona recognized as Ruin Guards activating with ominous hums.

"Split up and take them down! Klee, with me! Mona with Lumine!"

There was no time to argue, the group immediately doing as suggested as the male scooped up the tiny girl and placed her on his shoulders, racing headlong into the fray and letting loose a quiet, controlled breath as he did so.

"Wonderful. Not enough that I had to destroy hundreds of these damn things during Khaenri'ah's fall now they show up here as well."

A Ruin Guard turned to face them, flanked by a trio of Hilichurls and one Abyss Mage, aforementioned Mage announcing, "Kill him, carry out the Prince's-"

Whatever the 'Prince' wanted was put on indefinite hold as Alec whipped out a throwing axe from one of its holsters, long practice and a brief usage of Anemo energy ensuring that the projectile was launched at a speed even a trained eye would have trouble following, air parting before it as the business end lodged deep into the skull-like mask with a dull CRUNCH, the creature flipping head over heels with a spastic twitch as Alec never once broke stride.

"Time for Jumpty Dumpties!"

"Wait until we pass the Hilichurls!"

Even as Klee prepped one of her prized bombs Alec trained his eyes on the fast approaching Hilichurls, eyes narrowing in concentration as they prepped their weapons to beat them down-

-and he obscured their vision with a dual usage of Pyro and Cryo arts, a modestly sized burst of steam exploding outwards that caused their foes to hesitate for a brief moment. A moment too many, Alec racing past them without so much as a backwards glance as Klee tossed her creation into their midst, the man's eyes locked on the towering Ruin Guard even as the subsequent detonation shook his bones and caused the Hilichurls to scream in pain.

The machine swung its arm with bone-crushing force, enough power held within the strike that if it connected he'd be turned into goo. Something he'd seen happen aplenty a couple centuries prior.

Another usage of Anemo energy aided him in a powerful leap above the attack, alighting upon its upper arm with his shortsword unsheathed and swiftly embedding itself within the machine's central eye-socket, a surge of Electro shorting out and damaging the controlling mechanisms as Klee happily capitalized on the opportunity, shoving a smaller but no less potent bomb into the hole Alec left as he leapt away from the stunned Guard.

The following destruction as the girl's explosive went off graduated the construct from 'stunned' to 'demolished'.

Sprinting towards the next group with nary a pause the man spared a moment's glance towards Lumine and Mona, refocusing after only a second's observation revealed they were in no greater danger than he or Klee was.

Mona was apparently a formidable fighter in her own right, watery doppelgangers and celestial pathways allowing her to leap out of the way of attacks or release disabling bursts of Hydro energy as he was pleasantly surprised by her competence when push came to shove.

And he was already well aware of how good Lumine was, the Traveler dancing in and out of the enemy on a constant stream of Anemo energy that she used like she'd been born to it, keeping the pressure on.

Really, despite the ambush the tables had turned within seconds, the impromptu strategy and teamwork between them causing the enemy to falter and fall at a rapid pace.

In under a minute all was silent, the last Ruin Guard collapsing under its own weight as Lumine withdrew her shimmering blade from its 'head', the ground shuddering upon impact as the group warily stared at their surroundings.

"Everyone okay?"

"All set here."

"I possess nothing worse than a few scrapes and bruises."

"I'm all set to go~!"

Breathing out a sigh of relief Alec gazed around at the fallen and eviscerated Abyss Order forces, wondering just what it was they were doing that had warranted such a response as Klee hopped off his shoulders, jogging a slight distance away to inspect a severed Ruin Guard limb.

"Let's grab the Tear and get out of here, if the Abyss is planning ambushes like this near all of the Tears whoever goes to retrieve them is in big trouble."

"That seems an unfortunately likely scenario."

Mona's grumble as she examined a singed edge of her hat was understandable, Paimon exclaiming, "Paimon's going to keep an eye out from up above, if any more of those nasty Abyss show up she'll let you know!"

Taking to the skies Lumine sidled up alongside Alec, commenting, "You seem uneasy. What's up?"

"Nothing...just can't shake the feeling that if this was an ambush it was a bit overkill. Four Field Tillers, Abyss Mages and two dozen Hilichurls? That's enough to overwhelm everything short of a group of Vision holders or highly experienced platoon of soldiers or adventurers...seems a bit odd, that's all."

Lumine cupped her chin in thought, Paimon muttering, "Field Tillers? What are those?" as the duo drew close to where the Tear was still resting upon the ground without a care in the world-

Beep.

Alec tensed, whirling around as his eyes widened at the familiar sound.

"They're going to blow, find cover!"

Thankfully everyone was still alert and didn't question the order, hitting the deck and preparing for whatever new trouble was heading their way-

-the four Ruin Guards went up in a titanic detonation that made Klee's bombs thus far seem positively tame, the shockwave leaving the man feeling fairly loose on the inside as he slowly picked himself up once the world had stopped spinning, a blonde blur matching his staggered reaction that slowly revealed itself to be Lumine as his eyes learned how to refocus.

"Y-you okay?"

"Yeah. Shit, I forgot those things can do that if you don't bust them up enough beforehand."

Awkwardly moving forward towards where Mona and Klee had been - Paimon swooping down and worriedly checking on Lumine with a stream of words his ringing ears were having trouble discerning - the man breathed a sigh of relief as Mona appeared from behind a swirl of churning water, unsteady on her feet and pale-faced but otherwise intact. And Klee also seemed to be fine, slowly sitting upright on the edge of a crater where a Ruin Guard went up in flames, no immediately apparent signs of injury.

"Klee, Mona, you still alright over…"

Alec trailed off, staring at the still silent girl with a grim expression.

"Oh shit."

Dashing over to where Klee was motionlessly sitting the male felt his stomach sink, the young lady only slightly singed and dazed...but sporting a piece of shrapnel as thick as his pointer finger and as long as his forearm through her neck and windpipe, a deathly slow rise and fall to her chest as ruby eyes fixed on his own with a sort of bewildered puzzlement as if she wasn't sure how to react to the slow, precious trickle of red staining the collar of her shirt.

"Oh...oh no, honey, can you hear me?"

Lumine rushed past Alec as she saw the sight before them, not losing her head and immediately trying to get Klee to respond, met with middling success as the girl's eyes flicked her way but head remained perfectly still. Understandable, given the shard of metal in her neck.

Snapping out of his own shock he turned to Mona, asking, "Do you have any healing arts or powers that can keep her alive?"

To his frustration the astrologist nervously shook her head, stammering, "N-nothing for an injury like that, I didn't mean to...oh gods, I just left her-"

Recognizing the onset of shock but not having the time to do anything about it Alec turned back towards Klee, a slightly strained Lumine and frantic Paimon, trying to keep the younger girl conscious and awake.

"...Few hundred years ago I would have felt a moment of regret and then carried on. How time flies, huh?"

Reaching for the knife at his side he hadn't made use of for decades the man felt a sort of melancholy as he did so.

"I fought my war and lost...might as well take what victories I can find and die for them, starting with saving a child's life."

Lumine was honestly at a loss as to what she should do in this situation. And, not for the first time, cursed her lack of powers with all the strength in her soul. Had she been at the height of her previous abilities she could have easily stabilized the girl, kept her alive and breathing until someone with more talent in the healing arts could begin their work. Now? Now all she could do was softly whisper and murmur to the stunned female, still dazed and breath getting gradually weaker and wetter.

"Come on, come on! There has to be SOMETHING that I can-"

Color inundated the world, the Traveler's breath hitching in her throat as the landscape, sky and people around her just became...alive.

She and her brother had dabbled in drugs and other substances during their travels or some of the more lively parties they had attended and this effect that had come out of nowhere reminded her of it quite a bit.

Edges had a strange kaleidoscope effect, their geometry shifting with color as even her other senses went into overdrive, smells and sounds becoming overwhelming in their detail.

...But those aforementioned effects had been artificial. Limited. The result of the brain and body being exposed to a chemical cocktail that simply wasn't natural.

This? She felt like it was her soul that had gained these enhanced perceptions, an utterly rapturous experience she couldn't ever remember having before and felt as intrinsic as breathing.

She stared at her companions with open wonder-

-and flinched upon laying eyes on Klee.

With the world around her so vivid and beautiful the tiny girl's distinct lack of color and sensation was terrifying, as if the breath of life was completely absent from her being. She turned to look at Alec, suspecting that he had something to do with this...and felt her breath catch in her chest.

While his body was just as luminous as hers or Mona's what he carried in his right hand was not.

In his right hand was a completely grey and barren knife of unusual make, the handle a cylindrical construct of what looked like midnight glass and crystal while the blade was slightly curved, no longer than two of her hand lengths.

There was just something...wrong about it.

The man wordlessly crouched in front of Klee, the girl's dull and fading ruby eyes staring into his own gleaming emerald-

-and the Traveler almost had a heart attack as the male ripped the shard of metal free from her flesh, instantly replacing it with the blade of his weapon.

Before she could ask what he was even doing Lumine faltered, noting how Klee's expression turned from confused and bewildered to...at peace? Calm? And even more compelling was how the lack of color to her form quickly began to reverse itself, hues of illumination returning once more as it was now Alec who began to fade from the brilliance of the world.

"Was...was this his power as a God? Sure doesn't feel like any of the standard elements I'm familiar with…"

Before Lumine could further ponder such matters Alec withdrew his knife from the girl's neck, leaving behind only smooth and unmarked flesh as with little fanfare the world returned to normal, her companion sheathing his weapon with a satisfied nod and wry smile-

-and then collapsed, no signs of breath visible as Lumine quickly took command.

"Klee, are you okay, sweetie?"

"Umm...yeah, actually. That's weird, I'm pretty sure I was really badly hurt back then-"

"Mona, you with us?"

"I...I, well...yes, yes I am."

While obviously not all there mentally Lumine didn't have time to be picky, ordering, "Keep an eye on him and get ready to run back to Mondstadt, alright?"

They both nodded, the Traveler sprinting to pick up the Tear that had been their initial target, mind racing with all of the new information she had been presented.

And in her rush she failed to notice the deeply frightened look on Paimon's face, staring down at Alec with something that could only be described as a bone-deep apprehension.

For those wondering about pairings feel free to shoot me a PM, I like to keep the story itself clear of any spoilers if at all possible, especially in a tale like this where mystery is half the fun.