Some more notes so that you don't get confused.
The line breaks signify changes in each subplot. I will always state where the subplot goes in stars, just like below, *Somewhere near the outskirts of Mondstadt*. These subplots will weave together and create an entire story. It'll happen in the future.
Is the Vennessa in the end the same Vennessa as in the Falcon of the West? I'll let you decide this one
(the answer is yes)
*Somewhere near the outskirts of Mondstadt*
"There it is, Nimrod. There's Mondstadt," Raptor said. "There's a precious artifact in there that I've heard belongs to Celestia. It's an egg of sorts. It can birth any type of mythological creature. How cool is that, eh?"
"Well, I mean, if it's from Celestia, we really don't want to be stealing it, do we? We don't want the gods mad at us…" Nimrod replied timidly. Raptor made a disgusted noise.
"What is wrong with you, you spineless worm? We are Treasure Hoarders. TREA-SURE HOAR-DERS. Ok? Good. Now hand me the map of the Cathedral."
"Uh, ok, one second," Nimrod muttered. He searched his pockets, and then turned his hands up. "Uhhhh…"
"Are you serious? Did you really just fucking lose them?" Raptor growled.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Nimrod cried. "I most have dropped the-"
"Shut up!" Raptor growled. "You're going to get us caught before we even get there. Just stick behind me. We'll improvise on the way."
They walked through Mondstadt, trying not to draw attention to themselves. A couple of guards looked at them, but no one else lifted a finger.
"So after this, I'm thinking we'll hit Springvale," Raptor said. He had chosen to use more casual language in order to not draw suspicion. "Over there we can discuss what to do further."
They walked into the Cathedral to keep up the act of praying to Barbatos. When they got closer, they were able to see the entrance into the basement. Knowing they had no chance during the day, they decided to lie in wait until nighttime when the Sisters went home.
When nighttime fell upon Mondstadt, the two Treasure Hoarders went back to the Cathedral. They found the basement unlocked, and they crept in. They went down the long stairway, and found the artifact, basked in a soft silver glow. It was slightly oval shaped, but appeared quite heavy. Raptor approached it reverently, and reached his hand out for it.
"Careful…" Nimrod whispered. Raptor picked it up, and a tiny click was heard.
"That's a tripwire," Raptor said. "It's trapped. I-It was trapped, run!" In the distance, they could already hear alarm bells sounding. "Run for your life, Nimrod!"
The two Treasure Hoarders ran out of Mondstadt as fast they could. They tore across the countryside in hot pursuit. They dashed behind a tree and threw down a smoke bomb. The two Treasure Hoarders disappeared in a flash of smoke, and escaped to a small crack in the cave, one of their main bases.
"Whew… That was close." Raptor said. "Now, let's see what we got here, eh?"
"I brought the tools," Nimrod said. "Here you go, bo-" he was cut off, tripping against a loose rock.
"Careful!" Raptor snarled. "You don't want this thing escaping, do you?" he turned away in a huff, and accidentally knocked the artifact over. It tumbled onto the ground, and then disappeared in a flash of silver.
"Oh, Nimrod," Raptor snarled. "You IDIOT!" he backhanded Nimrod across the face, and Nimrod rubbed his cheek sullenly. "Now we have to go find it again before someone else does," he pulled out a little compass-like tool, and it pointed south of where they were. "Let's not waste any time."
They headed out of the cave, and followed the compass.
*Somewhere in Mondstadt*
Clank
Clank
"You can do better than that!" a boy's voice rang out.
"I know I can. I'm going easy on you, silly!" a young girl's voice called.
"Then don't go easy on me! Show me what you got!" the boy shouted again.
As their weapons crossed again, Lumine started to try harder. As she sliced and struck, Ajax parried with precision. Lumine stomped her foot, and the ground under Ajax's feet rumbled. Ajax jumped as if on hot coals, and Lumine attacked again. Without proper footing, Ajax started to lose. Their weapons crossed again and again, until Lumine struck low, at Ajax's legs. Ajax jumped, but Lumine kept turning and launched a kick to Ajax's stomach. Ajax flew back and onto the ground.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, Ajax," Lumine cried. She ran forward, only to see Ajax chuckling. "You got me there, I'll admit it," he said. "Up for another round?"
"Alright," Lumine said, giggling. Neither of them noticed the pounding of horse hooves from behind them.
Two figures dismounted in the distance and watched the duo fight. As Zhongli watched the ginger-haired boy and the blonde girl cross swords, it gave him a feeling of nostalgia. Venti elbowed him in the ribs and looked up at him.
"We were just like that, remember?" he asked. Zhongli nodded.
"It makes me nostalgic for that time. Back when everything was simple," he said.
The pair walked towards the two kids fighting, who were still unaware of their presence. Lumine and Ajax continued sparring, back and forth. At some point, Ajax went in for an overhead strike, and Lumine caught it with the hilt of her sword.
"Too bad, Ajax!" Lumine cried gleefully. "I win again!" Her free hand glowed red, and she punched Ajax in the chest, sending him flying backward. Ajax rolled over twice, and lay on the ground panting.
Lumine walked over to Ajax, and helped him stand up. "You're getting better at controlling those elements," he said. Lumine shrugged.
"Well, it's just an ability I have, y'know? I know it's special, but… I'm nowhere as strong as Aether. He can already control all seven fluidly, at much higher strengths. He can easily outpace all of the Knights, and even give Grandmaster Varka a run for his money," she said, defeated. Ajax put his arm around her.
"Nothing special? Lumi, as far as I can tell, only you and Aether are the people that can control all seven elements freely. I find that ability really really cool. If I'm being honest, I'm slightly envious, haha." Lumine frowned.
"But Aether's still so much stronger than I am. It's not fair. He actually lives up to his namesake, whereas I don't at all."
Ajax put his arm around her. "Well, you have more of a personality than he does, to be honest," he rebutted. "You're a lot more outgoing and friendlier. He just trains and trains and never talks. You're a lot more likeable. More social. I'd say people would like you more over him. And remember when Lumine's real value came in? Aether was the main strength, the rallying point in which the troops could stand behind. Lumine was the planner, the smarter one. If it were up to me to say, I'd say history is repeating itself."
Lumine blushed slightly. "Th-thanks, Ajax, that means a lot to me. Although I do hope we don't have to fight through a war." Ajax smiled and nodded.
"Wanna go one more time?" he asked. Lumine nodded.
"Alright."
The pair got up, and stepped some distance away from each other. Lumine summoned her sword, and Ajax his dual blades. "Ready?" Ajax asked. "Set?"
"Go!" Lumine cried, and launched herself forward. Lumine swung her sword down, but before she could reach Ajax, a glowing yellow blade stopped her path. Lumine's eyes went upward, and met glowing amber ones. Her face split into a wide grin.
"Mr. Zhongli? And Mr. Venti, too!" Lumine cried happily. She wrapped her arms around the two of them, and Ajax joined from behind them. Zhongli chuckled.
"You two have grown since I last saw you," he said, ruffling their hair. He looked at Ajax teasingly. "Is Lumine still beating you?"
"No."
"Yes."
Zhongli roared with laughter. "Well, I can't say I'm not surprised! I'd have thought you'd've become better now." he teased. Ajax flushed.
"Well, it's not my fault! Lumine can use any element she wants!"
"And here we see the duality of man." Lumine snickered.
"Ahahahaha, you two crack me up," Venti said. "How're you guys?"
"We're great! Sorta bored with all the work we're receiving, but practicing combat is really fun! If we're lucky, we sometimes run into a couple slimes or a couple hilichurls, and it always gives me such a rush when fighting them!" Lumine exclaimed. Ajax nodded fervently.
"We saw a mitachurl and a couple samachurls as well! They sort of skirted around the house and went away, though. I wonder why?" Ajax questioned. Zhongli shrugged.
"Maybe they didn't have any business with you at the time? Who knows?"
"Why'd you come here, Mr. Zhongli? Did you just miss us a lot?" Ajax asked. Zhongli smiled.
"Haha, partly. There's another thing that I must take up with your family. Being a prominent family in Mondstadt, your words would have the biggest effect with the Knights. Let's go there, shall we?"
"Ok!" Lumine said. "Follow us!" They led the way to their family's house.
"Welcome back, Mr. Zhongli and Mr. Venti. Your presence is most welcome." a male voice sounded. They turned and saw Aether walking towards them, wearing a backpack. Lumine and Ajax waved.
"Hey, Aether," Ajax said. Aether smiled and nodded back.
"'Sup, Ajax? Hey, Lumine. Can I talk with you guys for a quick moment? Mr. Zhongli and Mr. Venti, you can go ahead," he said. Lumine and Ajax shared a perplexed look, and went to Aether.
"I'm going to Liyue Harbor to further my training," Aether said. "You know that Mondstadt doesn't really have much more to offer in training as Grandmaster Varka is too busy to train me personally. I'm hoping Liyue Harbor will offer some more challenging opponents. The Milellith there use polearms, so it should be interesting."
"Wait, you're leaving? Just like that?" Lumine asked. Aether nodded solemnly.
"Yes. I was lucky to have run into you guys before I left, because I wanted to let you guys know."
"But then… where will you live? Where'll you stay?" Lumine asked. Aether chuckled.
"Heh. The answer surprises me as much as it will you. Apparently, outside of Mondsadt, we're pretty famous for controlling all the elements. One of the governors of Liyue Harbor has decided to offer me hospitality themselves. Although I don't know the names, it's the one that controls Liyue's land, livelihood, construction, and real estate."
Ajax looked slightly disappointed and Aether elbowed him. "Hey, don't look down. Given that you're training with my sister, you'll both become well-rounded warriors. Knowledge of both planning and fighting."
Ajax smiled. "Thanks, man. We'll miss you." Aether nodded.
"As will I. You two stay safe, alright?" He pulled the two of them into a hug, placed a small kiss on Lumine's cheek and bumped fists with Ajax. "It's getting dark. You two had better get back. I'll be going now." He pulled out a small map, and ambled away. He waved goodbye, and Lumine and Ajax watched him walk over the hills until his figure completely disappeared in the constantly darkening sky.
"He'll be alright," Ajax said. Lumine smiled.
"I know he will. Let's head inside now, yeah?"
"Alright, let's go."
*In the twins' home*
"WHAT?! You cannot be serious! These claims…!"
"Believe me, Ben, I wish they weren't true. But the Fatui are gathering there. I don't know how. I don't know why. But they're there. I've reported this multiple times to the heads of the other country's militaries, but… they refuse to take action." Zhongli growled.
"Well, how can they? You've been prophesying that the Fatui will return for so many years now. Without definitive proof, your words can only fall on deaf ears." Ben said.
"I know that, which is why I'm not here to raise an army to fight them. If I can't convince the heads, all I can do is to prepare." Zhongli said.
"Wait… so you mean…?" Ben's voice was hushed. Ajax froze outside. He had never heard his father sound so concerned. Lumine frowned at him. She mouthed "c'mon." Ajax shook his head. Lumine shrugged. "Not my problem if you get into trouble," she whispered. She ran into her room and shut the door. Ajax crept closer to the door and put his ear to the door.
"This is exactly what I mean, Ben," Zhongli said. Ajax pressed his ear to the door harder, and it creaked. Inside the room, Zhongli, Venti, and Ben's eyes immediately found their way to the door.
"Someone is listening," Zhongli said. Heart thumping, Ajax tried to move away, but it was too late. Zhongli opened the door, and looked down at Ajax amusedly. Ben stormed out from behind him.
"Ajax! That was meant to be a private conversation! How much did you overhear?!" Ben demanded.
"I didn't hear much, Father, I promise! I was just passing by! I only heard a bit about the Fatui, that- that's all!" Ajax stammered. Ben crossed his arms.
"Be that as it may, you overheard some private business here. I believe that a week in solitary confinement should teach you a lesson not to listen to any more of these conversations!"
"But, Father-" Ajax started.
"Now, I don't believe that will be necessary, Ben," Zhongli said. "I'll take him with me on my journey, and… discipline him myself," Zhongli tipped Ajax an enormous wink and continued. "I'm sure he'll learn a lot of respect for you once I'm through with him." Ben crossed his arms.
"Hmph. I expect an improvement in your attitude when you return, Ajax," he turned away and addressed Zhongli. "I want you to be as harsh as you can on him, alright? Good night to you three."
Zhongli rubbed Ajax's head affectionately. "Sleep well. We ride at dawn." Ajax nodded, and went to his room. He sighed, waiting for the telltale signs that his father was asleep, and soon heard the shutting of a door and the unmistakable sounds of someone snoring away. He quietly opened the window and peeked outside. He jumped out, and ran to the hill where he and Lumine often met. When he got up there, he already saw her there, her image silhouetted by the moon. If Ajax was honest with himself, he loved how she looked on the hilltop.
"Hey, Ajax," Lumine smiled. "What happened there?"
"Well, uh," Ajax began. "I'm not really sure how to say this. Mr. Zhongli is taking me along with him somewhere. I'll be gone for around a week. I wish I could stay here with you, but…" Lumine held a hand up to stop him and smiled.
"It's alright. You can finally experience the world! I do have one request, however," Lumine said. Ajax nodded.
"What do you want?"
Lumine pulled Ajax into a hug, and Ajax was painfully aware that the side of his head was pressed against Lumine's chest.
"I want you to experience the outside world for the two of us, okay?" she hugged him closer and sniffled. Ajax raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Lumine, are you alright?" he asked. Lumine simply cried harder.
"I wish you didn't have to go," Lumine said. "I'm not going to have anyone to train against, and I'll… I'll miss you." she said.
"Lumine…" Ajax said. He hugged her back, and held her until her breathing steadied out.
"Th-thanks, Ajax," Lumine said. "I'm better now. Just… come back quickly, alright? I don't want to be alone…"
Ajax smiled. "You bet I'll be back soon." Lumine smiled.
"Thanks. We should go inside now, you'll need lots of sleep for your journey tomorrow. Bring me back a souvenir, will you?"
Ajax nodded.
"I will."
*The Springvale Prison*
"Okay, so, Bennett, is it?" the warden asked.
"That's me!" Bennett responded.
"Alright. Since you continue to remain remorseful for your actions, and your crimes were, A: accidental, and B: the repairs funded by the Adventurer's Guild, we've decided to accelerate your release."
"Well, that's amazing! Thanks a lot, sir!" Bennet said joyfully, pumping his fist into the air.
"But there is one thing. We've assigned you to The Chasm to do some mining duty." the warden said.
"But isn't it really… dangerous down there? I heard there's all sorts of Geo monsters down there." Bennett protested.
"Well, if you do end up digging into some monsters, you can run off to the entrance. The Milellith will be there to protect you if things go really bad. Besides, you have a Pyro Vision. You should be able to hold your own for a bit." The warden explained.
"But, sir, with all due respect, with my luck, do you really think it's a good idea for me to go mining? I'd probably drive all of us in the exact opposite direction of the valuable ores…" Bennett said. The warden shrugged.
"Listen, pal, I don't believe in luck. The ore is either there or not there. There's no luck to it. Here's a map. Just follow the trail and you'll be fine. Try not to commit some more accidental arson will you?" The warden waved him off, and Bennett followed the trail.
"So… Mining duty, huh?" Bennett said as he walked down the trail. "Hope it won't go terribly."
*Somewhere in the forests between Liyue and Mondstadt*
A falcon let out a large screech. A flock of pigeons flew up, panicked.
"What is it, Nes?" A girl with flaming red hair and tanned skin walked up to the falcon. It flew down, perched itself on her arm, and screeched again. " I hope it's better than next week's meals, because you just-" Vennessa stopped suddenly. "What… is that?"
Sitting in the clearing was a glowing silver object, bathed in moonlight.
I hope you're enjoying this book so far! Please enjoy. The next update for Fates Intertwined will come. Just dunno when, procrastination sucks.
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