Esmeralda: Prologue
Esmeralda was running.
The shouts and footsteps of the Treasure Hoarders followed her. Taller and faster, they would catch up to her eventually.
Esmeralda tried to make no sound as she sprinted through the wilderness of Brightcrown Canyon. Her orange tail swayed in the air as her fox ears twitched, sensitive to the crashing sounds of her pursuers.
She was already panting. Her days as a researcher in Sumeru had not gifted her physical strength or speed, although the days spent in the wilderness helped a little. While some people she knew could fight them, she had no Vision nor training - a single Treasure Hoarder could overpower her, let alone four. She was not pleased with the situation she was in.
She had to hide. Lose her pursuers and disappear where they could not find her.
She had been warned that the Knights of Favonius did not patrol the wilds near Stormterror's Lair. She had been warned that several bandits had been spotted in the area. She had been warned to stay away from the area if she could not hold her own in battle.
She definitely could not.
But how could she possibly resist? The ruins in Liyue had been thoroughly looted by both Treasure Hoarders and Adventurers. Mondstadt gave her a far better chance to fulfill her goals, with its minimal bandit presence that had allowed her to work undisturbed. The past days had been peaceful. She had actually thought that everything was going well.
Which was when, of course, the small group of four Treasure Hoarders stumbled onto her camp.
Run. Maybe she could have just given them what they wanted, but it was too late now. Esmeralda had led them on such a wild chase that they were definitely angry. It was unlikely that she could get out of this one unscathed if she surrendered.
So she ran. Taking a sharp corner behind a rock, she squeezed past a narrow gap between a pair of small cliffs and into a forest. She hunched over behind a particularly large tree, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. As much as she liked her skirt, Esmeralda understood that it made running difficult. She resolved to get a pair of proper shorts if she were to continue her work in the wild. Maybe better boots, too, because her current pair were getting muddied and worn. At least she was not wearing heels. Something sticky dripped from her tail, and she brought it in front of her to inspect it. The originally silky orange fur was now caked in mud, and Esmeralda grimaced at her state. She really needed a bath.
The footsteps and shouts grew louder, and Esmeralda's heart skipped a beat. She felt herself panicking a little. She continued to run, doing her best to keep quiet in the dense forest. Unwanted thoughts flitted through her mind. Could she escape? What if they burned the forest? What if they burned her research? What if they shot her? She was going to die.
Okay, Esmeralda could feel herself panicking a lot.
She was also hyperventilating, which was not good for running. She tried to focus, to control her breathing, but she was no athlete. All she wanted was to study those machines in peace. It was such a shame that the Academia was either incapable or unwilling to provide her samples, forcing her to explore and find them herself.
Abruptly, the forest came to an end. Frantically, Esmeralda dived for a crevice behind a rock, but it was no use. Two of the Hoarders were waiting for her, and one managed to fire an arrow, narrowly missing her. The two who had chased her through the forest joined them.
"Come out, girl! Don't make this any worse for yourself!" the Hoarders demanded.
There was no choice. She was cornered. She could not fight her way out. If she surrendered now-
"Hold!" A commanding voice echoed throughout the air, giving the Treasure Hoarders pause. They hurriedly looked around, fearful of law enforcement. Still, the Knights of Favonius rarely entered Stormterror's Lair, so when they saw no one coming from around them, they relaxed.
Then a sword slammed into the ground between them and Esmeralda.
Its impact shook the ground, knocking the closest of the thugs off their feet. As the dust cleared, Esmeralda got a good look at the weapon, buried almost halfway in the ground. It was a simple, effective, and familiar blade - a Favonius Greatsword.
She did the calculations quickly. The angle at which it had fallen meant that it had not been thrown from afar... but from above.
And from the skies, her salvation arrived in a blaze of golden fire. This time, the ensuring shockwave knocked the Treasure Hoarders off their feet and their weapons from their hands. Cowering behind the rock, Esmeralda looked at her savior.
She was tall and threatening. Even from behind, Esmeralda could feel fear creeping up her spine. The Treasure Hoarders must have been petrified. Her golden hair burned like fire and her long silver coat rippled in the air.
With a single hand, she tore the claymore out of the ground and pointed it at the Treasure Hoarders, who were getting back onto their feet and retrieving their weapons. She did not say a word. She did not need to.
"This isn't your fight, girl," one of the Hoarders tried to make a threat, but his quivering voice failed to give it weight.
She ignored their laughable attempt to seem threatening. "This is your first and only chance. Lay down your arms and submit for judgment at once," she threatened, invoking the Pyro Vision that hung at her hip. Flames burst forth on her claymore, mirroring those leaking out of her eyes. "Or be purged in divine flame."
The Hoarders hesitated, torn between attacking with their superior numbers, surrendering as ordered, or fleeing as quickly as possible.
"Now!" the woman roared, and a wave of heat washed over the increasingly fearful Hoarders. It was as though the sun itself began to blaze more ferociously, ready to burn them away.
"We surrender!" The declaration was accompanied by the dropping of a number of weapons and it seemed to satisfy the woman.
Her flames fading, she spoke again. "Good. Stay here and don't move, or your punishment shall be more severe."
With that threat, she turned to look at Esmeralda, who quickly ducked back behind her rock.
"Come out, child," she called out.
Esmeralda considered staying in hiding. She decided against ignoring the angry Vision wielder. Slowly she stepped out. "Hi," she muttered awkwardly. She finally got a good look at her savior.
The woman wore a neat and smart uniform that consisted of a full-body black leotard with armored overlays. The front of her coat was buttoned up and ended below her breasts. Her boots went up to her knees, armored in shining gold. Her expression was hard, but her eyes seemed to have a spark of compassion within. Either that or her flames had not quite sparked out yet. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Esmeralda replied, nodding. She noticed the warrior's eyes, blue like the sky, sweep across the landscape, searching for additional threats. "Thanks for saving me."
"Think nothing of it. If you are well, then I shall now leave with these criminals."
"What're you going to do to them?" Esmeralda asked.
"They shall face judgment in Mondstat," the woman answered. "You should come, too. It is dangerous here.
"Thanks, but I'll stay here for now. I have work to do."
"Then that is your choice," the woman said. "If that is all, I shall return now."
"Wait! You saved me. I don't have much Mora, but you can have it!" Esmeralda offered. It was the usual practice, to reward those who helped you.
"There is no need."
"What? No. I can't just get saved by the Knights of Favonius and not-"
The woman interrupted her. "I am not affiliated with the Knights. Not anymore. Save your gratitude to protect yourself." With that, she turned her gaze back to the Treasure Hoarders, frowning when she realized that two of them were missing. "I have matters to attend to now." She strode away, fire flickering back to life on her clothing.
"At least tell me your name!" Esmeralda called out.
The woman, her savior, paused. "My name is Ariel. You can find me at the church," she said, without looking back. "Leave now. I will handle the Hoarders."
Esmeralda took Ariel's advice and hurried away. She returned to her camp, where she did a quick check on her belongings. The Treasure Hoarders had gone through it, but they were clearly in a hurry - some mora and artifacts were missing, but that was no major issue.
Heaving a sigh of relief, she collapsed in her tent. The amount of physical exertion in that day alone was far more than she ever expected and her muscles were painfully expressing their disapproval.
The threat of the Hoarders was still imminent. She had to pack up and move.
But maybe just a quick break first. She was so... tired...
Esmeralda knew that she had a time limit before some other bandits inevitably stumbled upon her camp. Already, she had been forced to rapidly disassemble her tent and take cover to avoid a group of Treasure Hoarders, twice. It was fortunate that they were just chatting and not actively searching for her, or she would have surely been discovered.
Esmeralda had just about decided that it was time to go, perhaps to Mondstat, when she saw something completely irresistible to her. That Ruin Guard was inactive, yet fully intact. Minimal external damage, important parts fully functional, and generally perfect for her needs. All it needed was a kick start - its original power source was long depleted. She would never get a better chance.
Her experiments were ready. She had set everything up. She was on the verge of a major breakthrough.
And then those buffoons came in, damaging her equipment with their crude shovels and corrupting her data with potions of concentrated elemental energy. The five of them laughed, demanding that she hand her mora over.
Esmeralda had had enough.
She felt was a connection to the Ruin Guard. She could sense its original purpose, faded over hundreds of years. In her anger, she wiped that clean and replaced it with her own - her current desire for the Treasure Hoarders to just. Stop. Messing with her!
With a rumble, the defunct machine stood up behind her. Its eye glowed not the standard yellow but a menacing red.
Primary objective: Remove current threats.
Esmeralda's mind blurred with the Guard. She analyzed the situation. There were five targets, Treasure Hoarders who seemed unsure of themselves now that a Ruin Guard had entered the fray. One wielded a shovel. One was unarmed. Two had crossbows. The last held a bottle that radiated Hydro energy.
Commencing primary objective. Terminating targets.
Esmeralda leaped forward, landing in front of the closest Hoarder, the one who was unarmed. A moment later, the Ruin Guard followed her, its weight shaking the ground as it landed. The Hoarder unlucky enough to be Esmeralda's first target made an attempt to attack her despite his shock. Before he could strike, she waved her arm through the air. The Ruin Guard mimicked her movement, landing a powerful backhand on the man that sent him flying.
Target eliminated.
The other Treasure Hoarders were yelling, panicked at seeing their member flung aside. The two crossbowmen fired, foolishly aiming for the Ruin Guard. Their arrows simply bounced off its armor, and Esmeralda turned to look at them. She pointed at them, and in her mind's eye, a pair of red targeting reticles appeared on them.
Fire.
The Guard released six missiles in the direction of Esmeralda's outstretched hand, three at each Hoarder. They moved to jump aside, to dodge the explosives, and one managed to avoid the worst of the blast, screaming as burns scorched his body. The other was less fortunate, dying immediately as a missile impacted his body.
Target eliminated.
The Hoarder with the shovel charged her, wildly swinging his makeshift weapon. Esmeralda threw a punch at him as he was approaching, and she missed completely. The Ruin Guard, however, did not. Its fist smashed his shovel apart and turned him to a red pulp.
Target eliminated.
Esmeralda turned to the last Hoarder. He had moved from his original location. Now he was at the side of his injured comrade, using his Hydro flasks to treat the burns caused by her missiles. Esmeralda ran over to them, the Ruin Guard's thumping footsteps following her. She barely noticed the fear on the last two Hoarders' faces as she bore down on them, fist raised. When she brought it down, the Ruin Guard would eliminate both of them at -
What was she thinking?
The haze of rage was retreating from her mind, and that allowed Esmeralda to regain some clarity of thought. Horrified, she took a step back, lowering her arms to her side. The Ruin Guard continued to follow her, stepping away from the Treasure Hoarders as well.
Primary objective: Remove current threat. Objective incomplete.
'Stop it!' Esmeralda commanded herself. She was breathing rapidly. She looked at her hands and the figurative blood on them. What had she done? 'I didn't mean to kill them!' She took another step away. She was unguarded. It would be a great opportunity for the Treasure Hoarders to attack, but they were paralyzed in fear of invoking her wrath.
Primary objective: Remove current threat. Objective incomplete.
Esmeralda's rage faded away completely as the realization of what she did hit her. She looked sadly at the two remaining Hoarders. "Just patch him up and go," she spoke softly. "I won't attack you anymore. And just... tell your boss to stop sending you guys after me, please."
"Yeah, alright, I promise!" the potion-wielding one frantically said. He pulled his friend up, who hissed in pain as his burns were aggregated. They hobbled away as quickly as they could, leaning on each other.
Objective incomplete, the voice in her head insisted.
Esmeralda could sense that the Ruin Guard wanted to kill the last two Hoarders to make sure that they could not bother her again. But she had decided that there was already enough death, so she remained put. As much as the machine wanted to go, it would not disobey her.
'Stop it,' she mentally told it. 'They're no threat anymore. From now on, just... focus on protecting me instead.'
New primary objective? The query came.
"Yes. Protect me. Preferably non-lethally, please," Esmeralda confirmed.
New primary objective: Protection. Secondary objectives: Prevent the use of lethal force.
Esmeralda let out a sigh of relief, her rapid heartbeat finally slowing down. Now that the Ruin Guard - her Ruin Guard - was no longer on a murderous rampage, she could relax and appreciate her efforts. Somehow, she had done more than what she had thought was possible - beyond merely powering a drained Ruin Guard, she had somehow managed to form a mental connection with it. It was impossible!
Esmeralda turned to face it. She felt no fear of the machine towering over twice her height. The passing of time had emptied its power source, yet its armor and programming held on. She admired the moved and rumbled, small parts rotating in idle motion. The few blades of grass and a small white flower growing stubbornly on its form swayed as it moved. It seemed just like a human.
"Thank you for the help," Esmeralda spoke out loud. She knew it could not reply. Yet as she stared into its glowing yellow eye, she could not help but feel that it understood. She placed a hand on it, feeling the heat and rumble of the machinery.
There was still much to be done. Hr most important task was to locate and identify the power source that had restarted this machine. Then perhaps she could find a way to improve it. Ruin Hunters could fly. What if she could make a Ruin Gaurd fly? Ideas and possibilities swam through her head.
Something hard poked her side. Esmeralda turned to see the Ruin Guard extend a hand, pressing lightly at her. It held something glittering in its palm. "Oh? What's... this..." Esmeralda's question trailed off as she recognized the object. A small, yellow gem with the diamond-shaped symbol of the Geo element rested there, waiting for her to take it.
A Vision.
Something compelled her to take it, so she did. Hesitantly, she reached out and took the Ruin Guard's offering. The moment Esmeralda's fingers touched the innocent-looking gem, she felt a rush of answers and knowledge enter her mind.
The Ruin Guard was being powered by elemental energy. The Vision connected them in ways deeper than she thought. Her past research revealed their secrets, showing her how it all worked.
And with the answers, of course, came twice as many questions.
Why were Ruin Guards not originally capable of using elemental energy? How long would it last hers? Was she deserving of a Vision? Which god had bestowed this power onto her? Could she repair her Guard if it was damaged? Could she improve it?
Esmeralda's hand clasped the Vision firmly. If her thoughts before were chaotic, they now seemed ten times worse from the new possibilities that emerged with her new power. However, she was also now more capable of sorting through her jumbled thoughts.
There was something she had to address first. Esmeralda looked back into the eye of the Ruin Guard. She told it, "You need a name."
It did not reply.
Esmeralda did not expect it to - it physically could not. She noticed the little flower, stubbornly growing on an ancient mechanical beast.
"I'll call you Daisy," Esmeralda decided. A lovely name for a dangerous robot. She grinned to herself. It was perfect.
Daisy did not reply. It did, however, seem content.
Esmeralda looked around. Her gaze landed on the corpses of the three Treasure Hoarders. That she had slain.
"Come, Daisy. Let's go."
An hour later, Esmeralda stood in a field with Daisy behind her. Before her were three human-sized mounds of dirt. At the head of each was a small rock, and a flower had been placed before each of them.
Esmeralda thought to speak but then decided against it. A light, calming breeze blew past, ruffling the grass. She stood there for a while, in silent thought for the three nameless Treasure Hoarders. The winds picked up, signaling an incoming storm. Esmeralda stood her ground for a moment longer, as the winds grew in intensity. "Let's go."
The girl and the Ruin Guard both turned and walked away.
Behind them, the three flowers that had been placed on the ground were picked up by the winds, carrying them into the stormy sky.
A/N: This character was created before Sandrome/The Puppet was revealed. Any similarities are entirely coincidental.
The next chapter is Esmeralda's character sheet, the kind that you'll find in-game. It has stats and backstory, but little actual story content.
Ariel is another OC. Her character sheet and story will come later if I feel like it.
