Chapter 1: Rise and Shine

"No. Were a contract of this magnitude to be signed, both parties held accountable and responsible for the consequences...I cannot subject my people to this."

"And what's the alternative, then? Just watch everything waste away, doomed to repeat this cursed cycle over and over?"

"A curse in which our people may find much solace and happiness...not all have lead lives as exciting or tragedy-prone as ours."

"You overestimate just how much 'happiness' there is to be found in this world."

"...I know of what you lost, know how you suffer, despite what you would no doubt proclaim is a false understanding. And I would not subject my charges to the grief we have experienced."

"Until the next war. Until the next bit of divine tantrum throwing. Until the next Black Sun Dynasty-"

"I know of your disagreements with our progenitors. And I know that our people will be the ones to suffer the fallout. They pray and offer their loyalty to us, their gods...I have not betrayed that trust yet and I will not betray it now."

"And who answers our prayers, then? The heavens that saw all that we built, all that we achieved and sought to ruin us? Dragging humanity down in the process? What's the point of worshiping and aspiring to that?"

"Aether!"

Rigid muscles cramped painfully as a sudden jolt of emotion and energy rocked Lumine's body, teeth gritted as the spike of agony persisted into something far more unpleasant as she slowly rolled her neck and shoulders, working out the rampant stiffness as she slowly gazed around her surroundings with a wary and confused gaze.

"Where...where were we? No, where am I?"

Shaking her head in a failed bid to make some sense of her current circumstances the traveller took a deep breath, slowly laying back down on the cool grass and tried to remember what had happened to her and her brother...what had that strange woman called herself? The Sustainer of Principles or something? She and Aether had tried to fight their way past her, having no desire to stay in a world ravaged by such a brutal war but…

But they hadn't made it, her twin being consumed before her very eyes while she had been sent elsewhere, nightmares and half-remembered hallucinations plaguing her mind as an indeterminate amount of time passed while she slept.

"Why...why am I awake?"

Grimacing as she slowly regained her feet Lumine gave her surroundings a closer look, noting that rather than the ravaged and chaotic landscape she remembered before being waylaid it was...actually quite beautiful. Healthy woods and grasses, the occasional chirp of birds or other animals and a calming breeze meandering through the woodland area.

"...I need to find someone."

Snapping herself out of her brief moment of distraction the young woman instead looked upwards to the blue sky dotted with a few charming clouds, manifesting her wings and power so as to gain a better vantage point...and winced as nothing happened, the traveler noting that on the whole she just felt weaker.

"It seems not only was Aether taken, so was my strength…"

Resisting the urge to simply sit and take a moment Lumine instead took another calming breath, striding towards a modestly sized rock outcropping before deftly climbing it, perching on the highest point before casting her bright amber eyes outwards, searching for any hints of civilization or potential answers.

Nothing. Just more trees, hills and the occasional quarry of stone.

"...No sense in merely standing around, then."

Forcing down her apprehension and sense of isolation through sheer force of will the beautiful girl chose an arbitrary direction and started heading that way, recognizing that she was going to have to start moving sooner rather than later. After all, she lacked any and all supplies other than the clothes she wore and the plain, unremarkable silver sword still heeding her call, completely bereft of its enhanced power.

"Very well, first is to locate a source of water and follow it, civilization is sure to exist nearby, after all. Then I may begin my search for Aether."

Nodding to herself in confirmation of her objectives Lumine finished climbing down the set of rocks, squaring her thin shoulders and marching forward without a backwards glance.

Action was far more preferable than mindlessly and uselessly waiting for fortune to fall into her lap.

The soft gurgle of water was like the sweetest of songs and tales to Lumine's ear, her parched throat and cracked lips a testament to her long and arduous trek through the wilderness.

Despite the verdant nature of the landscape finding any sort of stream or providing body of water had been maddeningly difficult, the girl also completely at a loss of what fruits or berries were edible and not, forcing herself to ignore the promise of sweet nectar and citrus lest she make her already dire situation worse.

But as she desperately shoved aside a small bush two days worth of unintentional fasting came to an end, a clear and clean looking pond providing a hope of survival and end to her maddening thirst, the blonde stumbling to the water's edge before practically shoving her face into the cool and soothing liquid, quaffing down huge mouthfuls of the sweetest tasting hydration she could remember having, ignoring the way her dry throat at first protested and clenched at the influx of liquid.

Granted it could have been a mud pile and she probably wouldn't have cared, so all-consuming was her thirst.

Minutes passed before she was properly satiated, leaning back on her haunches before sighing in contentment...at least until her stomach growled viciously, the blonde wryly noting that while her thirst was gone the hunger remained.

"Well, one crisis at a time."

Glancing back at the pond through more lucid eyes the traveler noted that it was actually quite large, fed by a modestly sized stream perhaps a few dozen meters away before meandering further in the opposite direction...in fact it was large enough that she could spy a few fish swimming in its embrace, her stomach choosing that moment to growl loudly and insistently.

"Well...a little bit of fishing never hurt anyone, right?"

Spying a solid looking branch she smoothed it against a nearby stone, wearing away at the sharper bits and ends before grabbing a length of sturdy vine, wrapping it somewhat loosely around the branch before giving it a few experimental tugs, nodding in satisfaction as the greenery smoothly travelled along the length of the wood without tearing or catching. Last was a cracked piece of polished rock secured to the end of the makeshift lure, an improvised bit of craftsmanship that she hoped would work.

All in all it wasn't a very impressive bit of wilderness survival...but her options were limited and it's not like she had much in the way of options or more comprehensive knowledge on how to survive in such trying circumstances.

Trusting in her luck and skill the girl cast the lure into the waters, settling down to wait-

-and her eyes widened as the line began to tremble and shake almost immediately, no pause in the movement to be found as she sharply pulled back on the improvised tool, surge of triumph warming her chest...and amber orbs blinked rapidly as instead of a fish she had pulled out a-

"G-GUH! Paimon is never going to go fishing like that again, Paimon almost drowned…"

...A little person? A very little person?

The diminutive sprite's odd eyes of dark blue and white pupils focused on Lumine, the pair staring wordlessly at each other as the smaller female hung by her elaborate clothing from Lumine's lure...and a joyful cry left the tinier individual.

"P-Paimon thanks you so much, stranger! Paimon thought that was the end of the line for her!"

Pulling her improvised reel close the traveler freed the much smaller female from her trapped state, asking, "Why...were you in the water to begin with?"

Shaking much of the water free from her body and floating nearby the sprite responded, "Paimon was so hungry and Paimon then got the idea that she could maybe fish for her food! But that didn't work and Paimon remembered that fish will fight to stay alive...she got dragged under the water and also doesn't know how to swim…"

Giving the creature a strange look her stomach promptly gurgled, reminding the amber-eyed girl that she wasn't in much position to complain about rushed decisions being made due to hunger, tossing the lure back into the water.

"Don't worry, Paimon. If I manage to catch something we can share it, I'm pretty hungry myself."

"R-really?! Oh Paimon thanks you so much, stranger! Paimon has to do something to repay such kindness! Paimon may not be the wisest of the wise but she does know some things!"

Smiling at her newfound companions energetic honesty Lumine was grateful for the distraction from her aching stomach, replying, "Well you might be able to help me, Paimon. You see, I'm a traveler from a different world and recently my brother and I-"

She stopped, the memory of her sibling being captured and taken in front of her eyes causing her to swallow harshly.

"-we were preparing to move on when a god of some kind stopped and attacked us. It called itself the Sustainer of Heavenly Principals and took my brother away before sending me here...and I don't know where or when I am."

Trying not to sound weak or lost as saying those words aloud really just drove home the isolation and direness of her situation Lumine was startled as Paimon abruptly announced, "That's so terrible, Lumine! Paimon has never heard of a Sustainer god before but she has heard of the Seven! And you don't need to worry, Paimon knows they're mostly nice and benevolent deities! Paimon thinks you should ask them for help since it was another god that took your brother away."

Grateful for the other individual's words the traveler nonetheless stated, "I think I'm done with gods for awhile, Paimon...but thank you nonetheless, it's nice to get some of that off my chest."

"Paimon was happy to help! And Paimon would suggest - if you ever feel alright with it - to speak with the gods of Anemo or Morax, they're usually pretty nice."

"I'll...take that under consideration, Paimon. Now-"

A sudden yank on the improvised fishing rod drew both their attentions, Paimon excitedly cheering, "You got something!"

Not replying as she lightly bit her lip in intense concentration Lumine alternated between trying to reel in the struggling catch and ensuring her shoddy line didn't snap or slip through her fingers, the girl trying to recall every time she had lost a game of rock-paper-scissors to Aether and been forced to catch dinner or whatever reason they needed fish-

-and with a triumphant breath she hauled the surprisingly large catch from the pond, a line of black scales crossing its back as it struggled and flopped, the traveler swiftly using her sword's pommel to strike it on the head, ceasing its resistance quickly as both girls drooled over the potential meal.

"Alright, now all we need to do is start a fire. Okay, there's no shortage of wood around so all we need to do...is…"

Paimon stared at Lumine, confused as to why she had trailed off before asking, "Paimon is wondering why you got so quiet, is-"

A raised hand silenced the floating sprite, amber eyes sweeping the landscape as she whispered, "The birds and wildlife...they're quiet."

Paimon also began to examine the area, seeming extraordinarily unnerved at the prospect of danger as Lumine tried to get her tired and flagging senses to focus-

-the attack came with startlingly little warning.

A trio of large, masked humanoids that had dark toned flesh and bore simple but no less lethal weapons in toughened hands raced from the treeline with nary a sound, closing the distance at an alarming pace.

Lumine reached for her sword's familiar presence with her powers in order to manifest it, the creatures much taller than her far too close for comfort-

-and a combination of exhaustion, stress and hunger proved too much for Lumine, the lead being finding its club deflected as she rolled away only for the second creature to bowl her over with a titanic impact and pinned her to the ground with surprising strength as the girl began to weakly struggle, Paimon shouting something indistinct as Lumine felt her eyes widen, meeting the faceless mask of the artfully designed material as the pointed end of its clawed hand was raised high overhead, primed to burrow itself between her eyes-

"Hey!"

-and blinked as the creature jerked with a sharp spasm, simple knife cleanly embedded through its head as it collapsed atop of her with a final few twitches and spasms, the other two abruptly shouting out some kind of angry cry.

Not that such bravado lasted for very long, one of the creatures earning itself another throwing weapon directly to the heart while the other was folded in half by a blisteringly fast kick that caused it to wetly wheeze, a sharp stomp to the neck finishing it off with a wet crack of snapping bone.

"Hey, are you all right, Lumine!?"

Slowly shifting her gaze to the welcome sight of Paimon and a newcomer that blurred in and out of focus the traveler did the only thing she felt like doing at the moment.

Namely, passing out.

"Okay, easy does it now...yup, there you go."

Blinking away the last vestiges of bleary rest Lumine stared into the energetic and friendly midnight eyes of a young man who seemed perhaps a few years older than her - physically, at least - with sun-kissed skin that was largely concealed by a durable jacket and pants, steel-toed boots providing protection alongside shoulder pauldrons, gauntlets, greaves and a simple breastplate of battered metal. The rugged look was completed by wild, short hair of snow white coloration that looked as if it hadn't been properly cut in years. One of his calloused hands was upon her back and easing her upwards while the other held up a steaming bowl, the slow curls of steam entering her nose and smelling positively divine to her starved stomach.

"You...were the one who helped me."

"Sure was. Name's Alec Damen, wandering nobody and perpetual explorer. Pleased to meet you...well, believe it or not, in the rush of recent events I didn't happen to get your name."

Snapping out her dazed mindset Lumine instead smiled at the man, replying, "I'm Lumine, and my companion is-wait, did you happen to see a-"

"Paimon is okay, Lumine! In fact Paimon suggests you eat, the food is really good! Although maybe that's just because Paimon hasn't eaten in a long time now…"

Sagging in relief as she saw the little sprite eagerly chowing down on a bit of grilled fish the traveler lightly said, "I'm glad to see you're alright, Paimon."

"You're glad to see Paimon is alright?! Paimon was more worried about you, facing off against those nasty hilichurls!"

Waving the mostly devoured skewer at her like a chastising finger the blonde couldn't help but lightly smile, Alec chuckling as he remarked, "You two certainly seem to get along just fine. And no offense meant, Lumine, but you look like you could use a little meat on your bones, how long have you been wandering around?"

"A long time, I think…"

Doing as suggested Lumine lifted the bowl to her lips with weak arms, gently sipping at the rich broth and slushy seafood within-

-and went about devouring it with great gusto, the taste simple but filling as Alec grinned, handing her a canteen that she gratefully drank out of.

"Better?"

"Yes, immeasurably so."

Going back to fill up for seconds Lumine gave her mystery savior a closer look, noting that he definitely had a wiry and tough nature to him, clothing rugged and worn but not in disrepair...and there was something about his presence, something that she couldn't quite place...

"You should consider yourself lucky, young lady. Not many get ambushed by a group of hilichurls with their guard down, half-starved and weighing perhaps as much as a light breeze soaking wet and live to tell the tale. You owe your little fairy friend there your life, I wouldn't have made it if she hadn't started screaming for help."

Lips quirking into a small smile Lumine replied, "I'll have to treat her to something special, then."

"Ooh, Paimon has always been partial to slime dishes, since the offer is out on the table, eh heh heh~..."

Handing her the second round of food Lumine eagerly consumed it, feeling strength return to her limbs at a rapid pace as the man took up a seat against a rounded bit of stone a respectable distance away, evidently deciding she was capable of moving under her own power.

"If you don't mind me asking what brings you all the way out here? While your clothing is surprisingly durable and hardy despite its elegant nature it's also not what I would typically associate with a wilderness trek, not to mention the rough state I found you in."

He raised an eyebrow in an expression that was more bemused than it was suspicious.

"Factor in the makeshift fishing rod, freshly caught fish and what looked like the beginnings of a fire pit and you certainly know outdoor survival skills...something at odds with the starved and dehydrated symptoms you were showing."

He spread his hands in a gesture that was half helpless and half amused.

"The only somewhat rational explanation I can think of is that you were dropped into an unfamiliar and foreign land with literally no way of finding your way around, lacking proper knowledge of what local fruits or seeds were edible and not. The rest are quite fanciful in the extreme."

Paimon nodded, unleashing a happy sigh as she finished off her meal before saying, "I think you can tell him, Lumine. After all, anyone that offers up free meals to total strangers must be a nice person!"

Feeling her lips quirk as she was starting to notice a pattern with the tiny sprite when it came to food and her opinion of people the traveler let her gaze drift around the small clearing they were in, Alec patiently waiting for her response as she performed her examination.

She was fully clothed aside from her boots set next to the small bedroll she was resting upon, nothing amiss or out of place on her person. The stranger's weapons - an assortment of throwing daggers and tomahawks - were resting against a modestly sized pack of rugged make, the little pile actually not far away from where she was resting and closer to her than it was to their owner, who only had an obviously displayed shortsword hanging at his waist while a sheathed knife adorned the other.

Not to mention she felt no hints of poison or any other kind of negative drug within the meal she had been given - her body was fairly adept at noticing and dealing with such things - and Lumine felt her shoulders sag slightly, put at ease that the man really was trustworthy, or at least not harboring any ill intent despite his thus far uncompromising kindness.

She and her brother had seen both the best and worst of people in their travels, after all. It never hurt to be careful.

"My brother and I are travelers from a different world, this one being just one of many that we visited and spent time amongst...but it seems we finally ran afoul of truly bad luck."

Drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her arms across them Lumine continued with, "We saw this world descend into a brutal and chaotic war, beings of great power striving against each other and leading to impossibly wide-scale destruction...we decided to leave. But as we prepared to do so we were confronted by a god that named itself as the Sustainer of Heavenly Principals, a god that engaged us in battle."

A small sigh left the blonde.

"We were unable to fight our way past it, my brother captured and cast away to a time and place I have no knowledge of...I only woke up a few days ago after an indeterminable time, much of my power gone and missing."

She glanced at Alec, unsure of how he would react to such a tale-

-and felt herself tense as his face had gone slack, previous affability and friendliness replaced with a neutral gaze that didn't so much as hint as to what was going through his mind.

Lumine instantly regretted speaking the truth, the man no doubt considering her a raving lunatic as she prepared to either run away or defend herself...and was instead caught off guard as he gave a small shake of his head as if to clear away a stream of unpleasant thoughts.

"Paimon, in the front compartment of my pack there's a small wrapped mirror. Do you mind getting it for me?"

At a loss of what was going on both Lumine and the sprite gave each other uncertain looks, eventually doing as asked as the floating woman retrieved the cloth swaddled tool no larger than a splayed hand.

"Lumine, can I see the palms of your hands?"

Hesitating for a moment the traveler eventually did as requested, slowly extending her hands and uncurling her fingers, the man calmly and smoothly kneeling before her, unwrapping the mirror and revealing a rather plain set of polished glass and wooden frame as he set it on the ground between them.

"Let's hope I remember how to do this properly…"

Tilting her head at the man's grumble she quickly became far more interested in his actions as he gazed towards the skies, one hand grabbing a knife before placing its tip on the mirror, the other extending a pointer finger and gently brushing against her palm.

Alec's eyes drifted half-closed as if in a trance, lightly tracing the lines on her palms in a seemingly arbitrary path as the appendage grasping the knife began to mimic those movements across the glassy surface, leaving a shining trail of light as it did so.

"Wow...is that astrological reading? Paimon's hardly ever seen someone use it before!"

Far more curious about what the young man was doing than she had been before Lumine held her questions, instead watching as he continued his work, almost three minutes passing before with a slowly released breath he withdrew from his task, holding up the mirror with a thoughtful frown on his features.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was it you just did?"

"Yeah, was that astrology? Paimon bets that you can make a lot of mora reading people's fortunes that way!"

Snapping himself out of his ruminations Alec sent them a wry grin, explaining, "I wouldn't count on it. I learnt this trick from an old friend and all it can do is show where a person originates from, tracing the path they've walked thus far in life."

He flipped the mirror around with a snort of amusement, showing Lumine and Paimon the path his knife had traced...and revealed only a chaotic swirl of what might have been constellations and star formations.

"You were telling the truth, my otherworldly friend. According to this you've been to, what? Three dozen other skies?"

Feeling an odd sense of relief wash over her Lumine replied, "Thirty-five, actually."

She felt her lips quirk briefly.

"And I'm your friend, huh?"

"Well of course. We've shared a bit about each other, swapped tales and eaten a meal together. In this world I daresay that makes us at least sort of friends."

The duo stared at each other...and simultaneous chuckles left them, the last vestiges of tension vanishing as Paimon added, "Paimon definitely thinks of you as a friend! And totally not because you gave Paimon free food!"

"Well at least you're honest."

Alec's amused tone preceded him giving the traveler a distant look, quietly musing, "The Sustainer of Heavenly Principals, huh?"

Lumine perked, quickly asking, "You know about that god?"

"Sorry, no, was just thinking out loud."

He crossed his arms, leaning against his rock before responding, "I've heard of gods with names and titles somewhat similar to that but not specifically that one. Sorry, can't help you there."

Sighing in resignation Lumine settled for a nod, Alec suddenly suggesting, "If you don't mind me tagging along, I can help you look for your brother. While it's been a long time since I've come to Teyvat I know a few people in pretty high positions of power that might be able to help expedite a search for him."

Perking at such an offer the blonde couldn't help but feel a trickle of her usual playfulness return, teasing, "Oh? Must be nice being able to drop everything and just help lost people on a whim. You do this often?"

Alec took her jest in stride, smiling at her before just as cheekily responding, "Only to the beautiful damsels in distress. And as a free spirit I get to pick my adventure of the day."

He waved a hand as Lumine shook her head in amusement at his response.

"Jokes aside I really don't have any prior commitments or pressing goals at the moment, helping you find your brother is something I'd be happy to do as well as give me an endpoint to work towards."

"Geez, it must be nice to not have any commitments or worries! Paimon wishes she could just go where she wishes and make good food just as easily as you do, Alec."

The man shrugged, explaining, "It took a lot of practice and getting used to. So? What do you say, Lumine? Mind if I tag along?"

Placing her hands on her hips Paimon proudly added, "He may know high up people but Paimon knows the lay of the land better than either of you! Paimon will be the best guide you could ever ask for!"

Shrugging helplessly Alec added, "She's probably right, I can't say for certain how much the little things may have changed while I've been away. Guess I'll be cooking meals every night for our ticket to Teyvat, huh?"

"Eh heh heh, aww, you're being so nice to Paimon!"

Lumine took a deep breath, saying, "It won't just be him, I'm a pretty decent cook myself and we'll take turns."

She smiled as both turned to face her.

"After all, it only makes sense to share responsibilities if we're going to be traveling together, right?"

Dual grins were her only response, Alec offering a dorky salute as he stated, "Happy to be along for the ride, Lumine. On that note, how far away are we from Mondstadt, Paimon? Three days walk, I think?"

"Yup, looks like you know some things after all!"

Lumine cocked her head, asking, "Mondstatd?"

"Our first and closest destination. Rest up for now, we've got about an hour till morning breaks and we can start heading that way if you're up for it."

The traveler grinned, grabbing her boots and slipping them on with steady motions, rising to her feet without so much as a trace of weakness or dizziness as Alec and Paimon blinked at her.

"What if I'm up for it now?"

Recovering quickly the young man chuckled, smoothly regaining his own feet as Lumine realized that he was a fair bit taller than her. Not needlessly tall but still pretty sizable...or maybe it was just the fact that she wasn't the tallest girl around. She and Aether had always been on the shorter side, unfortunately. It made getting drinks in a couple of the worlds with stricter morals a pain.

"Is a hardy constitution something all otherworldly travelers have or just something unique to you? Not more than a few hours ago you were half-starved and beaten up."

Playfully flexing her bicep the traveler replied, "Me and my brother have always been pretty tough. You two ready to leave?"

"You betcha! All Paimon needs is a full belly and she's always ready to go."

"Give me a moment to break camp and we can be on our way."

Lumine nodded, asking, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Sure, mind dousing the fire?"

"No problem."

Going about her designated task and retrieving a nearby bucket to fill with water from the nearby stream she paused, giving Paimon and Alec a look that had them both returning her stare with bemused expressions as she tried to talk around the sudden lump in her throat.

"I...thank you. For helping."

She quickly departed before they could reply, cheeks burning with embarrassment at the sudden burst of emotion. But, well...it was honestly a relief greater than anything she could put into words that she had already found people so willing to help her. Before she could always rely on Aether and he on her, even when the worlds they had stumbled onto had been less than hospitable...that familiar presence at her side was gone, an aching wound that had thankfully been staunched by Paimon and Alec, even if it was still fairly raw and bloody.

She wiped away a tear, shaking her head at her sudden outburst before continuing on her way to grab a pail of water, quietly grumbling, "Aether would have been laughing hysterically if he saw me acting like this, the cool and collected sibling crying like a little girl...and then I would have smacked him on the head and reminded him how he ended up sobbing for days after being rejected by that girl who wasn't ever that into him and he would have retorted that I wouldn't know any better, having never had a boyfriend that lasted more than a week-"

Lumine stopped herself, smacking her cheeks to break the stream of memories before squaring her shoulders and marching onwards.

She wouldn't make sure her sibling was safe if she kept dithering around like this.

"So what's Mondstadt like?"

"Well unless the culture has drastically changed since I've been back there the best way I can think to describe it would be a melting pot. Mondstadt heavily prizes individual freedom of expression and thought, maintaining as loose a governmental structure as possible, the Knights of Favonius responsible for keeping the city safe while the Adventurer's Guild handles a wide variety of miscellaneous tasks from resource collection to intelligence gathering to outright combat scenarios."

Paimon nodded along with Alec's words, the sprite lazily floating above the pair as she added, "The Adventurer's Guild will have the best chance of being able to find your brother, Lumine. And Mondstadt has all sorts of traveling bards and journeymen pass through its gates, they'll be able to either spread word of your missing brother or give you clues in kind."

Finding herself smiling at her two traveling companion's knowledge of the local culture she mentioned, "It sounds like a really interesting place, cities that were all about artistic expression were our favorites when we were travelling through the stars. Like an in-depth summary of the places we would be venturing through...and that's not even taking into account the wide variety of restaurants that would always be scattered about, countless dishes always on brilliant display…"

Alec chuckled as both Lumine and Paimon began to reminisce over imagined meals, gazes distant as he glanced at the collapsible bowl and blazing campfire Lumine had prepared, grilled fish slowly cooking on a quartet of spits while the traveler enthusiastically mixed a bowl of greens, fruits and nuts they had gathered on their walk during the day.

"I get the impression that you're something of a gourmet."

"Comes with the territory of traveling to so many different worlds. Well, that and a really strong stomach."

"I bet. What were some of these worlds like?"

The open curiosity in the young man's tone caused Lumine to grin in excitement, it not being very often that she got to impart tales of her and her brother's travels. While some people and places they had encountered during their journeys had been open to the idea that they could leap between realms it was far more often that such claims were brushed away or met with suspicion.

"Well the last world we traversed was one home mostly to beings that were different from humans. Humanoid, but were more bird than man or woman. They were surprisingly friendly, welcoming us with open wings once it was clear we meant no harm."

The traveler's eyes took on a far away and distant look, tone languid as she described, "They built their homes in massive trees that they carved and pecked at, creating highways and nests that spanned as far as the eye could see, giant colonies and farms of domesticated insect and seed varieties that they tended to covering the ground far below while they used their plucked feathers and other natural resources to create colorful murals up and down the trees, making each and every 'city' wholly unique in artistry and feel."

She chuckled suddenly, tone amused as she added, "The insect dishes took some getting used to but they were surprisingly tasty once you got used to it. Crunchy, and really good with a kind of herb they used in a lot of dishes. Reminded me of soy sauce, actually."

"Ugh, Paimon is all for trying new dishes but eating bugs seems a little...ick."

Lumine turned to Alec and was surprised at the rather melancholy expression he had on his features, asking, "Are you all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking that it must be incredibly liberating to be able to travel so freely among the various stars, the ultimate privilege a person can have."

Unsure of why her traveling companion seemed so wistful - and potentially even jealous - Lumine carefully added, "It had its bad points as well, granted. Saying goodbye always hurt and not all of the worlds were as beautiful or friendly as the last one."

Snapping out of his rumination Alec seemed to realize he had been acting strange, shaking his head and offering the girl an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound as I don't appreciate your stories, Lumine. As someone who styles himself as a free soul I actually wouldn't mind hearing more about these various cultures you and your brother spoke and interacted with."

A more melancholy expression dominated his face, words tired as he finished with, "But absolute freedom like that carries with it obligations and penalties, as all things do. I don't regret the price I paid...but I often wish it needn't be paid at all."

Lumine and Paimon shared a brief glance, wordlessly agreeing that the subject was a bit of a sore one and that it might be better to move on from it.

They had gotten along quite nicely considering they had only been travelling for a day but asking such specific questions over such a clearly hurtful subject seemed a bit too familiar, at least for now.

Thankfully she was spared the necessity of sitting in awkward silence as she finished tossing the makeshift salad, the fish glistening with juice as they were properly cooked through, the traveler grabbing and handing out a few of the skewers as Paimon excitedly exclaimed, "All this talk of past events and stuff is making Paimon hungry, let's chow down!"

"I think everything makes you hungry, Paimon."

"Hmph!"

Lumine's teasing words seemed to snap Alec out of whatever funk he'd fallen into, the young man gratefully accepting a bowl and skewer with a nod as Lumine asked, "Do you want to hear about the world where all of its landmasses floated through the air?"

Perking at the words he eagerly asked, "Wait, they floated?"

"Sure did. And not small rocks or plots of dirt...I'm talking about literal mountains and continents, all drifting above a cloudy and fathomless abyss."

A boyish grin appeared on the male's lips as Paimon shivered, remarking, "Yikes! Paimon is glad that she can fly…"

The night drew on, the trio swapping jokes and tales as the embers of the fire simmered into mere pinpricks of light amongst the dark, stars twinkling high overhead like a thousand gemstones.

It was a small, innocuous scene. A chance meeting that was considered to be just that by the ones who had met...chance. One that would soon have far reaching impacts across all of Teyvat.

To kick off the (hopefully) less stress-inducing year I've got a new story for everyone!

Genshin Impact really caught my heart with the incredible world-building and roster of characters and I wanted to put pen to paper and write up a story of my own detailing all of those things...of course, since the game is still very much in the baby stages of its lore and 'central' story it's going to mostly be my own spin on things since it will take into account information only up to update 1.1

If new elements come out which (almost certainly will) contradict my take please bear that in mind, this is going to be all original material straight from my little goblin brain.

And with that out of the way welcome to this new tale!

Hopefully I nailed Lumine's character, it's a crying shame we're saddled with a mostly silent protagonist because both her and Aether's VAs are super talented and sound great. What I did manage to gather is that both are kind of snarky in a playful way, as well as quick learners and quite curious about the world around them, befitting their state as travelers.