The Adventurer's Guild had requested the help of the Knights of Favonius and Kaeya, as the one with the least responsibilities, according to everybody else, was chosen as the tribute to fulfill that request.
And so, one rainy day (Rain, in Mondstadt city? Never before on his memory... ) the Cavalry Captain had found himself walking to the Guild to meet his partner from the Guild. As soon as he had arrived at the Guild he was greeted by his partner.
"Good morning, Captain Kaeya," Kaeya stopped in his tracks. He was greeted by the unluckiest person in the whole of Mondstadt. Well, the day was bound to get even more interesting.
"Good morning, Bennett," Kaeya replied. He then nodded to Katheryne in greeting.
"Ad astra Abyssosque. Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, Captain Kaeya. Thank you for taking on this request."
Kaeya had always marveled at the Snezhnayan bionic doll. At first, he had believed like the rest of the men that Katheryne was a living person but he then later managed to confirm the rumors that the woman was a bionic doll that had managed to keep her maintenance for so many years, never breaking down and having to reboot itself when in the presence of other people.
After signing the required paperwork that Katheryne had provided him, Kaeya and Bennett finally left the city.
The adventurer's guild had found a new domain that was by all clues provided temporary but way too hard for many of the Adventurers. To ensure its disappearance somebody was needed to explore it. But the person whom they could send in without a question was currently unreachable. (It must have been the Traveler, stuck once more in yet another nation, played by the local politics...). And Bennett's usual partner was currently on a different assignment. And so, to ensure the survival of their Adventurer the Guild had requested a Knight. Say what you want, but the Guild took care of their people.
The domain was located near the Falcon Coast. The pair had arrived at the entrance with no trouble, except for a moment when Bennett had almost fallen on a small pebble. Even the rain had cleared fast and the sun had come out. Kaeya felt in his gut that the Domain was going to be terrible.
"Ready to go in?" Kaeya questioned his partner for the mission, as he did his last-second checks.
"I am ready!" the excited teenager raised his fist into the air. A moment later he was hit by a small pebble on his head that came from out of nowhere.
"Uh, where did that come from?" Bennett looked around, rubbing his head from the hit.
Kaeya had to remind himself that this was one of the best Adventurers the Guild had ready to spare.
...
The Domain itself was straightforward. Enter the room, and activate the mechanism responsible for spawning the slimes or a group of hilichurls. Beat the enemies, activate the newly unlocked door mechanism, and advance to the next room. The enemies were all easily beaten by the pair, with Kaeya letting Bennett loot all the chests they found in the rooms.
The Bennett Luck struck true in the last room. The room by itself was not any different from the previous four. Stairs from the door leading down to the floor where was located the mechanism to summon the enemy, locked behind a puzzle. The door snapped shut as they passed through it.
The sudden closing surprised both men, and both rotated to look at the now-closed door. The difference was that Bennett was closer to the steps and the rotation unbalanced the young Adventurer forcing him to roll down the said stairs. Kaeya wasn't fast enough to catch Bennett's falling body and just watched with trepidation how lifelessly his partner came to a stop at the base of one of the fire torches.
"Bennett!" Kaeya rushed to the still body, trying to rouse him. Quickly checking for a pulse, the Captain sighed in relief - Bennett was alive. Just unconscious for now.
But that was a problem. Bennett required medical help as soon as possible. To do so they needed to fight whoever was going to spawn here. And to activate the spawning mechanism they had to light the torches. And the only person between them who was able to wield pyro was unconscious.
Kaeya bit his lip, quickly scouting the puzzle from his position. He saw all four fire torches. If only he had had another source of fire... wait. He did have it! Now only for this method to work.
A heavy sigh and Kaeya snapped to action. He first pulled the unluckiest Adventurer to the farthest corner he could, away from all the action. Then he stepped back to the torches and took out his tinder box from the small pouch he had brought today with him. He quickly opened the box and took out the tinder and the fire steel. A few quick strikes over the first torch...and it lit up!
Kaeya breathed out the breath he did not know he was holding. The method will work. Now only for the enemy to be susceptible to his cryo powers. He quickly lit the rest of the torches.
...
This was definitely the result of Bennett's 'Luck'.
The enemy that spawned was indeed susceptible to his cryo. The enemy that spawned was a freaking Abyss Herald. It was a Hydro Herald. But this was definitely above the regular Adventurers' pay grade.
He clenched his teeth in frustration. If Bennett had come here with his partner they could manage this fight, probably, but narrowly and with a great many injuries.
He had to finish the fight as soon as possible, he had to get Bennett back to the city. The Herald slashed with his blade with Kaeya jumped back and to the side to avoid an injury. The Herald was too fast.
"Freeze!" Kaeya cried, trying to put a bit more of his power into his elemental skill. It managed to hit the Herald, slowing him a bit, and allowing Kaeya to cause even more damage with his blade. The Herald obviously did not like the pain and retaliated. He raised both his arms and unleashed a cross-shaped water projectile. The Captain managed to avoid it, but he had to glance back, as it came too close for his liking to Bennett's still unconscious body. Resolve even stronger than before, Kaeya unleashed his elemental burst and rushed the Herald who in turn spun out of Kaeya's sword path.
"Will you fucking stay in place!" the Captain roared, before unleashing another elemental skill. That was now enough for the Herald to infuse himself with Hydro.
Kaeya scrambled from another attack before he stepped on something and fell down. Kaeya spared a scuffing glance at the object - it was his tinderbox - before focusing once more on the enemy. The Herald was advancing, preparing to make the last swing count. Kaeya knew that he will not be able to stand up in time and his skill was still in cool down. He was prepared to dodge the attack but in the end, he even did not have to.
"Everybody stand back!" A familiar voice cried out behind Kaeya. How did he end at this corner of the room again? A surge of protective fire covered him, and he immediately felt relief from all his small wounds. The voice then continued. "Take cover!"
Kaeya followed the instructions to the T, rolling to the side, away from the Herald and from somehow now awoken Bennett who with a head injury was probably gaining another head injury. Nothing of the kind had happened. Bennett was also standing in the AoE of his burst and instead of his elemental skill blowing up in his face he nicely busted through the Herald's hydro shield, causing him to vanish.
"Nice one," Kaya cheered from his sprawled position.
"Ha-ha-ha, thank you for taking care of me, while I... was... out of combat," Bennett tried to thank the Captain in return, but the man just waved him away.
"Go get the loot, I will just rest here for a bit more, and then we are both going to get medical help," Kaeya emphasized his point by stretching a bit more in his position.
"But I feel fine!" Bennett responded, opening the chest that spawned on the spot where the Abyss Herald fell. A distance away Kaeya could see the portal that will take them outside.
"You got hit in the head," the Captain stood up, ordering the fur that was on his shoulder.
"I always get hit in the head," the boy grumbled, as he rubbed the sensitive spot.
"You are still getting a checkup," Kaeya announced as he led his partner out of the domain. He laughed at the low grouching of the unluckiest Adventurer of Adventurers' Guild, the Mondstadt branch. This was not as bad as he was expecting it to be.
