Nova here! I'm back with another chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Now, reviews!

LilyMaja: Hello again Lily! I will take your recommendation into account. Thanks for the advise! Also lol yeah my gacha luck is insane! RNJesus hath blessed me! Lol!

xSnvwyy: Aether since that's my traveler :P Making it ambiguous would just be too hard for me.

pika daniel: Thank you! And congrats on the good pulls!

GachaMHCreator & ZapperFrost: I know! No clue why the font error! Sorry for that Lol!

me: Thanks for the support!

And now, onto the chapter!

Disclaimer: Genshin Impact belongs to Mihoyo. I only own characters of my own creation.

Chapter 7: Yanfei's Plight

(In Liuli Pavilion)

"I wonder who Zhongli wants us to meet. Maybe it's another Archon!" the hyperactive goddess says as we walk to the room we were directed to.

"Probably not, though it isn't completely out of the question." I respond, trying not to show my curiosity.

I knock on the door in front of us, and what I think is a bard opens the door. I look around the room, and seeing Zhongli, I enter.

"Eh? Who are you?" I hear the girl ask the bard of undetermined gender.

"I'm Venti the bard! Pleased to meet you!" they say happily.

I hear the tall man beside me sigh as he begins to speak.

"I believe introductions are in order. Venti, these two are Yanfei and Hu Tao. You two this is a Mondstadtian bard that goes by the name of Venti. Although, you may know him by the name Barbatos."

…I'm not even surprised.

"So why are you here in Liyue?" I ask, completely giving up on any formality around deities.

"I was hoping to meet this young goddess here! So, in return for allowing me to meet the mysterious Ereshkigal, as per our contract, I will assist you in dealing with the Fatui!" the cheerful bard says, without a care in the world.

"Please, call me Hu Tao!" the goddess says to the bard, starting a long conversation between the two.

I turn to Zhongli, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"You've surely noticed it too? The Fatui are preparing to make their move."

"Yes, I have. Their numbers have been increasing exponentially. I suppose it was only a matter of time until plans for war began." I say, a solemn undertone in my voice.

He nods, and we both turn to watch the two deities conversing cheerily about whatever comes to mind.

I sigh in resignation.

Just what have I gotten myself into?

{Unbeknownst to her, it's about to get a whole lot worse. The answer to her question is a massive mess.}

(Elsewhere)

"I have to go do something somewhere." I say, being as vague as possible while speaking to the traveler.

"Not even gonna ask. Just be quick. We'll be in Liyue in a few hours." he responds offhandedly.

"Great! Be back soon!" I shout as I jump through the tear in space I created.

Mondstadt, city of freedom! Now where is that boy?

I sense my objective just outside the gates. Stopping before the unlucky boy I speak, and his eyes tear up.

"Don't worry! In a world far away, you are appreciated by everyone! Don't ever let your luck get you down! Be the best person you can be!"

As I jump into a new spatial tear, I hear him say thank you. My mouth curves into a smile.

Good. All is good with the world now.

{And here we see a Nova in the wild, going about their random shenanigans as usual, looking for more things to entertain them. What a fascinating creature.}

"Oi!"

(The next morning, on Wuwang Hill)

So here I am. Standing on Wuwang Hill at the crack of dawn watching 2 gods train a goddess, who is also my best friend. Yanfei, just what has your life become? An unending cycle of confusion.

As I question my sanity, I watch as the noticeably improving goddess goes toe-to-toe with Barbatos. Although she is barely keeping up with him, the fact that she can keep up at all is astounding. Her growth rate is insane.

"She is certainly amazing, being able to keep up with him. At the rate she is going she will likely surpass him in a month's time," the man standing beside me says.

I only nod in response, continuing to nonchalantly watch as the earth quakes, the trees become ash, and the wind lashes out at everything it touches.

Hmph! I'd much rather be organizing files and signing legal documents. I was hoping we would pick flowers like we did that day. I'd almost welcome the abyss mages if they'd at least give me SOMETHING to do that isn't sitting back and watching!

{As Yanfei is conflicted with boredom and love, having become completely numb to the energy constantly being emitted around her. She has yet to realize that the reason she no longer feels the pressure is because her body is absorbing that energy, causing her power to be equivalent to that of a lesser god when combined with her adepti blood. A certain alchemist that has just arrived at the harbor would be very interested in that.}

(Liyue Harbor)

Seems the rumors of the Pyro Archon are true. The Fatui presence here is tenfold what it was when I left. They must be trying to get their hands on the gnosis. Maybe I'll finally be able to stop them! I refuse to let them take another gnosis!

I step off the ship and onto the dock with my companions in tow. The captain addresses us as we begin to walk away.

"Stay safe now kiddos!" Captain Beidou says before directing her crew.

"""Thanks for the trip!""" we all say before heading to the Wanmin Restaurant.

"You're welcome aboard any time!"

As we walk through the city, I can't help but notice the tensions between the people and the Fatui. The others seem to notice as well.

Due to the incident with Osial, the public trust of the Fatui is nonexistent. Some even openly show their hate towards them. And with the Pyro Archon residing here, they had no choice but to come back. The only reason the Tsaritsa hasn't sent a practical army is that it could start a multinational war. One they probably couldn't win. Now, where do we begin to look for this god? Hmm?

I overhear a rumor about a massive fire on Wuwang Hill by some passing merchants.

Well, I suppose that would be a good place to start. At least it's something.

"Alright, we'll begin our search at Wuwang Hill!" I say, before being rudely interrupted by my own stomach asking for food.

"After we eat lunch." I say, embarrassed.

"I'll whip up something tasty! It'll be a new recipe of mine, using lavender melon!" Xiangling exclaims, enthusiastic as always.

"As long as there won't be too much Jueyun chili in it like you usually do…" Sucrose says, trying, and failing, to hide her grimace.

"Aww! But I really wanted it to be extra spicy this time…" the chef responds dejectedly.

"I'm really glad to have them travel with me," I think as I laugh at their banter.

Although…

I look towards Nova, wincing at the sound of her rattling chains.

That noise is REALLY starting to bother me!

A/N: I'm REALLY sorry that this took so long! Midway through writing I remembered that they were about to meet Venti, so I had to rename the document to chapter 8 and begin again from scratch! I really hope you like this chapter nonetheless!

Also, I pulled Bennet, so I made a short little intermission that let me tell him what we all wanted to say! You are not alone! In a world far away, you are appreciated by millions! Gotta do some justice for the poor boy!

Please tell me what you think! Did I do not bad? Tell meh! Lol!