Chapter Two: An Unexpected Reunion
Whispering Woods, Mondstadt
8:34
Eula marched through the woods with her squad of knights, claymore on her back and fiery vengeance in her eyes. Her stride had more power to it, more force compared to her usually elegant walk when out on patrol. The knights in the captain's squad felt nervous around her, not used to the sudden change in mood whenever the Spindrift Knight is around. Her 'vengeance' this time felt more genuine, if the brutal method of discarding hilichurl camps that were positioned too close to the city's borders were to say anything about it. It terrified the knights, and they were grateful Eula was on the side of the Knights.
These past few days were not kind to the Reconnaissance Captain. The death of a very close friend (some rumored to be her crush), the added work with the Outriders gone, and the situation with the Knights internally. Eula had found herself hacking dummies and going out on 'hilichurl exterminations' more often than she realized. She had strived to be a good example, an exception of a descendant of the Lawrence Clan, and now here she was committing mass genocide to a tribal-
Eula shook her head, holding her temple like she had gotten a migraine. No, she shouldn't think like that. She was a Knight of Favonius, and she was doing this for Amber.
Amber...
The thought made her want to cry on this lonely road in the woods. But she can't do it in front of her knights, she would look weak. Gripping her claymore tightly, she continued her patrol. Recently, there has been multiple sightings of meteors crashing into Mondstadt. From the looks of the streaks of the meteors left behind, one landed in the lonely mountain of Dragonspine and another down in Starfell Lake. Because of this, the Reconnaissance and Investigation companies have been deployed to investigate these meteorite crashes. Albedo and his team have been sent to the one in Dragonspine (Albedo mostly stayed in that area anyway), while she and her team of three was sent to the crash site around Starfell Lake. Although investigation was their primary motive, it was also to keep any third-party organization to get their hands on whatever landed there. The Fatui had also been interested of these meteorites, from what she heard from Kaeya when he was snooping around. Eula will not let these so-called "diplomats" get to it first.
A loud bang startled Eula from her thoughts, raising up her fist on instinct. The knights behind her stopped, looking anxious. More bangs came afterwards before it fell silent.
"What was that noise?" Asked one.
"Was that an explosion? Did Klee somehow leave a bomb somewhere?" Another inquired in a less than controlled voice.
"Steady yourselves, men." Eula calmed her team down. She could hear voices now. Did the Fatui reach before her? "Follow me." She ordered, as she bounded down the road. The knights gave a look to each other before going after their captain.
Eula reached Starfell Lake in a matter of minutes, watching behind a tree. This was where the crash site is. Unfortunately, the presence of the Fatui confirmed her fears. However, they were currently being engaged by someone there, brutally murdering them. What shocked her the most was the person doing all the work.
It was a woman, around the same age as Eula with brown hair, cut short into a bob cut. Golden eyes, which she imagined used to be energetic, now emotionless as she drove what appeared to be a knife into the side of a Fatui Skirmisher, making him cry out in pain. The woman pulled out a strange object and pulled something. The top of the object moved backwards as a loud bang ripped across the air, making Eula flinch. The sight of the Skirmisher's head being blown to bits shocked her, not used to seeing this much gore.
The woman pushed the Skirmisher to the ground, the large body falling flat into the glass. It would appear that she had singlehandedly taken down a Fatui group with just a knife and that strange object. The blood on her face matched the color of the headband that she wore on her head. That headband shook Eula to the core.
There was no reason for Amber would kill without justification. And even if she did, she would hate herself for it. This...lookalike killed Fatui diplomats in cold blood, and with such brutality not even a soldier could fathom. And all with a satisfied smile on her face. Eula watched as she wiped the blood off of her knife and put the strange loud object in her hip. This woman...scared her. She couldn't wrap her head around Amber killing people, and didn't want her to be such a monster. But at the same time, she wanted to believe this was Amber in the flesh, regardless of what she did to those Fatui. She wanted Amber to return into her life.. She wanted Amber to return into her life.
Without her realizing, she stepped out of her hiding and called out her name.
"Amber?"
[…]
The wait was killing Amber. There wasn't much else to do here while waiting for a file transfer. So instead, she went off to patrol the surrounding area while she waited for BB's AI to transfer into her helmet.
She had found the same furry creatures with masks nearby that set up camps in this area. Amber dispatched them with ease, even without her Pistol. There was a bigger creature with them that carried some kind of wooden shield. Grappling the shield away, two pistol rounds to its kneecaps and a knife to its head seemed to do the trick.. She had cleared out the surrounding area of these creatures, which made her a little less bored.
Distant voices divert her attention back to BB. The connection was not yet done, and they're already sending out personnel? Amber cursed, but hid behind a tree to scout the intruders. Such is the life of a Pilot, preparing for the unexpected.
This group was an odd one, because there were no IMC traces on them at all. No insignia, no IMC uniforms, hell not even their weapons. These look like the local people of this planet she found herself in. It was a small troop of six, with one big dude in the back. All wore these avian looking masquerade masks. Four of them wore simple robes and boots, one female, the rest were male; one wore a hat and carried a rifle (although the design suggested it was a primitive design compared to what she's seen); and the big dude wore a general's cap and carried gauntlets bigger than the heads of his comrades.
Whatever this masquerade circus is, they were dangerously close to BB.
She climbed up a tree using her jump kit and waited for the moment to strike. As the group went towards the area where BB sat, one of the members pointed at the wreckage. "Look! It must be some kind of Ruin Guard...?"
"Doesn't look like anything I've seen. Looks new. We should bring it back to research on it." The man with the rifle spoke, perhaps their T.L*. Amber gripped the branch she was holding on tightly, to the point where it made a mark. No way in the Seven Circles of Hell will she let them get BB.
She raised her arm and shot out her grappling hook, being embedded into the back of one of the 'grunts'. He let out a cry of pain before he was swiftly dragged back into the forest, where Amber dropped on him with a knife to his neck, silencing his screaming.
"Hartman!" The rifleman yelled. "Shit! We're being ambushed. Prepare that machine for transport." He pointed at the big dude. "Skirmisher. Find whoever took Hartman." The big man, or Skirmisher as he was called, nodded and went towards the direction where Amber had dragged the masked man named Hartman. She could probably take out the big man, but she had to prioritize the three that were heading for BB.
Hopping between trees, Amber unslung her DMR and aimed for the four that were approaching her Titan. Pulling the trigger, she fired three times. The rifleman fell to the ground dead immediately as a bullet went through his torso. The two other robed people stumbled as their lower regions got hit. The one that was unhurt turned around in shock to see the group battered. She smiled, that was just enough.
"ARGH! MY LEG!" The woman shrieked as blood poured out from her thigh. Her cries of pain was answered as Amber jumped into their view; her once dull golden eyes reignited with anger. The unhurt man pulled out a knife and charged Amber, seemingly to protect his friend. It was all in vain, as Amber tripped him over by sidestepping and kicking his shin. He fell to the ground, clutching his foreleg. The Pilot pulled out her P2016 and fired, blowing the man's brains out.
"No... No! Please don't kill me!" The other man pleaded, holding his bleeding hip. "I-I am a Fatui diplomat! You can't kill me! This is considered an act of-" His cries were unanswered as Amber drove her data knife into his eye, making him scream in pain. She stabbed him again at his throat, cutting out the screaming for good. Without stopping, she got up from the man and walked over to the woman, who was whimpering in fear. The big dude did not appear just yet, perhaps just seeing Hartman's corpse. She crouched over to the woman and put her hands on her head. The woman tried to kick Amber and clawed at her hands, but her resistance would be useless as Amber turned her head harshly to the right, snapping her neck. She stood up from her carnage, feeling a sadistic smile seeing the brutal ways these masked invaders died. Not her fault they dared to take BB away from her.
Then the Skirmisher finally showed up, enraged. "You! You will pay for what you've done!"
The Pilot did the only thing that was appropriate: taunting him. "Go for it, big man."
He roared in anger as he slammed his gauntlets together. He prepared to charge, taking a step back. Amber smiled as she took a stance of her own, raising her hands up as she moved her fingers towards her, beckoning the big man to charge. Which he did, with a roar of rage he ran towards Amber like a truck. However, Amber was faster as she jumped over the charging bull with the help of her jump kit, landing gracefully as the man crashed into a tree. The Pilot used this opportunity to latch on to the big man with her grappling hook and pulled him away. He was too dazed to resist so he stumbled towards her, arms loose. Amber used her data knife to stab his liver, plunging it to his side. He roared in pain, but was ultimately silenced with a bullet to his head, blown to bits. He fell to the ground, dead like the rest of his troop. With a satisfied smile, she wiped the blood off the blade of her knife and holstered her pistol before heading back to BB.
That is if she wasn't interrupted by another voice. "Amber?" She turned around, unholstering her gun in one move and pointed it at this new intruder.
Compared to the masked intruders, she was not one of them. Or at least not wearing a mask. She wore this outfit consisted of some kind of black tights around her waist and lower abdomen that really showed off her curvy hips and thighs. White and blue sleeves covered her arms and black gloves covered her hands. She also wore a cape and a bright blue gem, similar to the electric pendant she saw on the planet of Fhranth. Her blue hair was a bit messy with equally messy bangs, a black headband that awfully looks like lace, and she had...multi-colored eyes? Staring into them felt like looking down into a kaleidoscope of blues and golds. And right now, those galaxy looking eyes are brimmed with a mix of sadness, fear and confusion.
For some reason, Amber had a vague memory of this person. There were some flashes of her in a different outfit in a different world, walking next to this person as they shared stories and spent time together. It almost made her want to drop the gun and run up to this woman to give her a hug.
But she was a Pilot. And she had to survive. She did not know who this person is. It was making her uncomfortable. This whole place made her uncomfortable from how familiar it was to her. It was...uncanny.
"D-Do I know you?" She stuttered, still keeping her pistol at her. "H-how did you know my name?"
The woman's face briefly looked betrayed before she hid it. "D-do you not recognize me? I-it's me...Eula." She took a step forward, wanting to see her face closer. Amber took a step back, nervous.
"S-stay back. I-I don't know who you are, you're making me feel weird." She responded nervously.
Eula felt tears in her eyes well up. "A-Amber. Please you have to remember. Don't you remember me?" She continued, walking towards her. She sounded hurt, betrayed. It was disturbing Amber. She continued to move away from her.
"N-No! I don't give a fuck who you are, leave me alone!" The Pilot replied. Who the hell was she to say that she should remember? She was Amber Lastimosa, dammit!
"Please..." Eula was almost to the point of breaking down. She doesn't even remember her? "You have to remember me. What happened to you?!" She had practically pushed the Pilot to a tree and shook her, tears running down her cheeks.
"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" Amber panicked and knocked her away, pulling the trigger. Eula cried out in pain as she dropped the ground, clutching her shin that was now bleeding. The Pilot only looked in horror at what she did to the poor woman, dropping her pistol and running back to BB, facing away from her to hide the tears in her eyes as she ran...
Eula's leg screamed with pain as she put her hand over it in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She bit her lower lip, holding back a scream. The knight reached her hand out to the retreating woman but is no use. "Amber..." She calls out weakly. Her tears continue to slide down her cheeks as she chokes back a sob.
Amber...had hurt her, physically and emotionally. The searing pain in her leg alone was too much, how dare she harm her that way. Eula felt like she should swear vengeance to her, for causing this suffering. But at the same time, she didn't want to. It was the person she wanted to see the most in the flesh. Sure, she may not remember who she was, but she felt it in her heart that it was definitely her.
But first, she had to get up.
Eula roared out in pain again, trying to lift herself up. It was too painful to even move. The blood squirted out in disturbingly large amounts as she struggled to bring herself from the ground. The sight of her own blood made her feel dizzy. What did that object even do to her to cause this much pain? She dragged herself to a tree, resting her back against the trunk. She felt lightheaded just sitting down. Her vision blurred. Was this death at her doorstep? So soon?
"Captain Eula!" The trio of knights finally arrived to her aid. The supposed second in command of this squad looked horrified at the sight of their captain. "Oh, the Archons above! What happened to you?!" He winced at the sight of the wound, a big bloody hole the size of the tip of a pinky finger. One of the knights looked green at the sight of so much blood, covering his mouth.
The Spindrift Knight groaned. "S-Sir Carter." She said to the knight. "I-I don't have much time. Return to Master Jean and tell her I did her duty." Her consciousness began to slowly fade away.
"No, no, no! Captain, stay with me!" Carter fumbled in the pouch on his hip. "Anyone have a healing potion? Anyone?!" He turned to his knights. They all checked their pockets, grimly shaking their heads.
"Wait!" A new voice came, the knights turning their heads towards a woman running towards them in strange armor that hugged her curvy figure. A brown scarf was wrapped around her neck, over an unfamiliar set of armor. There was a knife that was sheathed over her armor around the midriff area. There was a belt on her waist that had pouches on the left side and some kind of sheath, holding a strange object. Kneepads and boots cover her legs over some kind of rough looking pants.
Her helmet was not like anything they have ever seen. Instead of the dome shaped metal with a nose cover, this one covered her entire face. Where the face should be was some kind of marking glowing with blue light. On the top of her head were two metal bunny ears that looked really similar to a certain Outrider's red headband. In fact, this woman had eerily similar colors to Amber's. While he may be a firm believer of the Anemo Archon, he doubted this was more than just mere coincidence.
These knights had no idea who this woman was, but Eula did. She would've told them to stand down, but she was too wounded to even speak. The knights drew their swords, Carter stepping forward to ask. "Outsider, what is your business here?" He internally winced at the greeting, as it was not accepted in the handbook, but dammit his superior was hurt and he was not going to let anyone harm her any further.
The woman raised her hand in surrender. "I can save your captain. I have the supplies needed."
Carter narrowed his eyes. "And how sure are you?"
"Do you want your captain to die or not?" The woman growled, apparently not having this conversation. The knight sighed and let her proceed. There was no point in delaying the only way to save Eula.
[…]
Amber felt like a fucking idiot. Three things that happened told her how stupid she was. One, she dropped her pistol. Kay and her superior officer would've chewed her out because of that. Two, she shot a defenseless woman with a 11.43×23mm bullet (or as everybody calls it, .45 Auto) in the leg. No doubt that would've shattered her tibia and ruptured a major artery. Three, she left that wounded woman behind as she ran away. She could've died just from blood loss.
By the time she had arrived back to the wreckage, the transfer had been completed. But Amber didn't want to her helmet on. Instead, she punched a tree and screamed. The trunk practically imploded from impact. She covered her face and screamed into her hands.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, GODDAMMIT!"
"Pilot. Your heartbeat and blood pressure are rapidly increasing, clear signs of stress. Recommended procedure states that you take deep breaths and calm down." BB's voice rang from her helmet.
"YEAH, NO SHIT!" She yelled at her Titan. Nevertheless, she took deep breaths and calmed down. "Fuck, I messed up big time." She walked over to her helmet, wiping her eyes. She put on the helmet, going through the usual diagnostics. There was a new icon on the top left corner that was labeled "BB-8790 OS". Good, at least her efforts weren't for naught. She ran back the way she came, picking up her P2016 on the way there.
Which leads us back to the present, where she pulls out her medical kit as this man in knight's armor held down the wound with both of his hands. Carter, as he was called, shuddered just feeling the blood coat his hands as Amber pulls out a syringe: an ERS, or Emergency Recovery Shot. Although a gunshot wound was still lethal in its own right, medical treatment and first aid in the Frontier was a lot more advanced compared to medical treatment in the 21st century. The ERS was just one of the more biochemical advancements to ensure the survival of the patient during first aid, despite the severity of the injury. She stabbed the syringe into Eula's bare thigh, causing her to wince uncomfortably. The Pilot checked Eula's face, holding her cheek. She was pale and her eyes half-lidded. She definitely lost quite a lot of blood there.
"Okay, Carter. I'm going to need you to let go of her leg." Amber ordered the knight. He nodded as he slowly removed his hands from the wound. The Pilot took out anti-septic spray and sprayed it lightly over her wound, Eula wincing again from the stinging sensation. She took out bandages and wrapped it around her shin. The ERS did its job, calming Eula and lessening the blood flow.
"Will she be alright?" Carter asked Amber, worried. The Pilot gave a nod as she stood up. "She'll be fine. We need to bring her to a hospital, if you guys have any?"
The knight was confused. "What's a...hospital, is it some kind of hospitality?" Amber fought the urge to facepalm. These were people who still wore knight armor and mostly used swords instead of firearms, of course they don't know what a hospital is.
"Ugh. I mean, do you have any places of healing?" She clarified. Carter seemed to nod at that question. "Yes, we do. The Cathedral of Favonius is a place where us knights and citizen can heal and pray."
'Must be the religious type.' Amber thinks before nodding. "Alright then." She turned to Eula who was still sitting down. "Excuse me, uh, Miss. I'm going to have to carry you. Your leg is in no condition to walk yet."
Eula shook her head. "N-no need. I think I can stand up on my-WAH!" She tried to stand, only to be lifted up effortlessly by Amber, carrying her in her arms like a bride after a wedding.
"That wasn't a request, Miss. Now, don't squirm or you're risking opening your wound again." She said, before facing the knight. "Okay, Carter. Lead the way." The knight nodded as he and his subordinates started walking to the direction where they came, Amber following suit.
As they walked, she noticed that Eula's face was flushed red. Out of embarrassment or frustration, she wasn't sure. She didn't seem to mind as they walked through the woods.
Eula, on the other hand, was embarrassed out of her mind. Here she was, Recon Captain of the Knights of Favonius, being carried like a princess in distress by some otherworldly knight. Granted, it was Amber...Which made the whole situation even more embarrassing. She would never admit it, but she had once fantasized of carrying Amber in her arms, as they run away from a dangerous dungeon. This was the complete opposite and she...well, she didn't really hate it.
City of Mondstadt, Mondstadt
9:30
"What is the name of this city anyway?" Amber asked Carter on the way there. The knight simply answered.
"You are in the city of Mondstadt, the central city of Mondstadt. We are the people of the wind. We pride ourselves in our hospitality and our wine industry." Amber nodded, holding back a snicker to hear the nation's name spoken twice. Upon hearing of their wine industry, she gave an interested smile.
'They have booze here apparently.'
"I'll check out the bar once this is done. I need a drink." She muttered, which did not go unheard by Eula or the knights. The knights didn't seem to mind another drinker, as they did not know who she really was - but Eula was confused. Amber drinks alcohol now? What caused her to do such a thing?
The Pilot approaches the main gate of the city, walking over the only stone arch bridge connecting from the city to the mainland. The trio of knights approach ahead to the knights guarding the gates. Amber watches as they converse, the guards noticing Eula in her arms with shock. Carter returns to Amber. "Follow me please, I'll show you the way to the Cathedral."
The Pilot simply nods, following Carter to the cathedral, as the other two knights break off from the group, perhaps to report back to their superior. They then enter into the city.
"It looks like some old-timey villages back in Harmony." She commented to BB quietly.
"Your assessment is correct. The design of the homes and the placement of each building in relative to each other share the same design as some rural towns in Harmony. The designs originated in medieval Germany, around the 12th century A.D." The AI noted.
"Really old, huh?" Amber gave an amused chuckle. However, her chatter was interrupted when someone cleared their throat.
"Ahem." Amber focused her attention to Eula, who was still flushed red. "While I appreciate your...effort in carrying me." Her cheeks flushed redder at the mention. "Could you put me down? I wish not to let the people see me as a damsel in distress."
"Oh, okay." The Pilot shrugged, gently putting down the knight. Eula stands on one leg, holding Amber's shoulder for support. It was weird for the person whom she just shot suddenly act polite around her, so she did what she'd usually do when nervous. "You know, if you want to be carried around more, you can just ask." The Pilot teased.
Eula's face turned red again as she turned away from her, a pout on her face. "W-We should catch up with Sir Carter now." She answered, attempting to hide her embarrassment. Amber nodded, as the two of them heading down the main road where the knight was waiting at the fountain. Ignoring the looks she was getting from the locals, they trudged on towards the cathedral, which just so happened to be on the third level of the city.
This was going to be a long walk...
Favonius Cathedral, Mondstadt
9:55
By the time they had reached the entrance of the cathedral, they had climbed a total of three long flights of stairs. Amber was huffing when they stopped in front of a cathedral. Walking this much stairs was no problem for her, but with extra weight it took a toll on her. Eula wasn't faring much better, walking with just one leg was a challenge, and was sweating profusely. It was a miracle her leg didn't reopen its wound.
"Finally." Amber groaned. Carter nodded as he opened the doors to the Cathedral. The Favonius Cathedral was, as expected of a cathedral, large. The interior was very spacious, with only a few rows of pews before the altar. There were a few people there currently in the interior, namely some religious individuals, and nuns. There were two people that stood out in the small crowd however.
Two blonde girls sat on the front pew. One was older, wearing a blue and white outfit that bore some similarities to Eula's outfit, namely the gloves and pattern design of the clothing. The other was younger, wearing a white dress and a small white cap. If Amber guessed, they were siblings. The younger one is a priestess while the other one is some sort of superior of a military, perhaps Mondstadt's military.
Carter approached the two blonde girls and began discussing with them. And she could actually hear the conversation.
"Master Jean. I am sorry to interrupt, but I bring news." Carter saluted to the older blonde. Jean nodded to the younger one and responded to Carter.
"It's alright, Sir Carter. The Deaconess and I were just talking." She spoke. "Now, any reports on the investigation."
"Ah, about that." Carter said nervously. "You see, while we went out scouting, our Captain was caught in a skirmish and was gravely wounded." Jean and the younger one, the deaconess, looked concerned.
"Well then, where is she?" She asked, looking panicked. Eula took this moment to speak.
"Right here." The three turned towards Eula and an unknown individual standing there. Jean looked at the bloodied bandages on her leg and sped-walk towards them. Amber had the uncanny feeling again, just looking at this woman named Jean. She looked familiar to her somehow, like she was supposed to her...former superior?
"Oh, thank goodness you're alright." Jean breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll take you to a room to rest." Eula nodded in response. The blonde turned towards the woman in the strange armor. She was surprised to see someone almost taller than her. But there was something familiar about this woman. Maybe it was the bunny-like helmet or the colors of her armor, but it reminded her of the late Outrider.
"Thank you for bringing her over to us, traveler." Jean bowed slightly. "We will take it from here. You are free to leave."
Amber gave a nod, but for some reason she didn't want to leave them just yet. Shooting Eula was her fault, and she should be the one to stay. However, she wouldn't be given much of a choice when Eula spoke. "Master Jean, I insist she stays."
Jean raises an eyebrow. "And why should this traveler stay? She has a choice to leave."
"Because she is actually-"
"The one who hurt her." Amber finished her sentence, not wanting Eula to say her name. She didn't want another person she doesn't know, somehow recognize her and break down in front of her. It would be preferable to one accident to stay as one accident and not add up. "I am aware of the crime I have committed, but I will take full responsibility for this." Eula looked sad for a moment, but nodded. Maybe she understood what Amber was saying.
Seeing the wide eyes of Jean and the other blonde, she added. "And she can't walk on her own, her leg is severely damaged."
"I-I see. Please follow the Deaconess to one of the spare rooms." Jean gestured to the young deaconess, who also looked worried. "Once, you are done, meet me in my office in the Headquarters." Amber nodded, escorting Eula.
The room they were led to by the deaconess was a small one located in the basement of the Cathedral, with space enough for at least two people. A bed was positioned by the wall with a dresser next to the bed positioned under a small glass window letting in sunlight. Amber brought Eula to the bed, gently placing her down. The blonde deaconess looked terrified at the sight of the bloodied bandages.
The Pilot turned to the deaconess. "You have doctors? Or are you the doctor?"
The young girl shook her head. "N-not exactly, but I can cast elemental healing to wounds and sicknesses."
Amber tilted her head, looking at the girl like she grew a second head. "I'm sorry, what? Casting? There's magic on this planet?" She put her hand over the forehead of her helmet. Great, now she had to deal with this fantasy bullshit.
"P-planet? Aether told me that word, but I don't understand it..." The girl was confused.
Amber waved it off. "You know what, never mind." She looked at her. "What's your name, kid?"
The girl frowned. "My name is Barbara. I am not a kid." The Pilot nodded.
"Sure...you say you can heal?" Barbara nodded. "Can you also knock someone unconscious?"
Barbara looked confused. "Why would I do that? I am a healer; I'm supposed to make someone feel better."
"Because what I'm going to do will hurt like hell." Amber replied, sighing. "Shit, this is harder than I thought."
"Hey, language." The healer scolded. Amber rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry to taint your virgin ears, it's not like her leg is shattered from a bullet." She sarcastically quipped.
Mumbling something about 'wishing she didn't have to do this', she took out a clean, cut piece of leather from one of her pockets and gave to Eula. "Here, bite into this when it hurts. I don't have any anesthesia with me." The knight looked nervous at the implication of what she said, before she simply put the leather piece to her mouth.
Barbara was confused, but the armored woman opened the door behind her. "I suggest you take a moment outside. It's going to get really bloody." The deaconess paled at the mention of blood, but shook her head. "I will stay for the comfort of Eula. Blood is something I should get used to as a healer."
"Suit yourself then." The Pilot shrugged, letting Barbara stay by the side of Eula, whispering softly to her. She opened the bandages, wincing at the sight of the bullet wound. Taking out her medical kit once again, she pulled out her medical pliers. Amber turned to the two of them. "I'll pull the projectile that's stuck in your leg so that you can heal properly. Trust me when I say it'll hurt like hell. You ready?"
Eula looked scared, which was understandable since she had never received a bullet wound before, nor has she experienced emergency surgery. But with a determined look, she nodded.
Amber simply gave a grim look as she grabbed the nearby trash bin next to the drawer, bringing it close to the bed. Then she reopened her wound with her knife, digging deep into her leg. Eula bit the leather piece hard, a harsh scream still leaving her throat. Barbara was horrified at the sight of a tool entering the body in such a manner and looked away, muttering a prayer to calm Eula and herself.
"Jesus, it missed an artery. Thank fuck." She muttered as she continued to dig through her flesh, before feeling metal on metal. Bingo. She held the wound painfully open with her knife as she used medical pliers, to put it in. She glanced at Eula's pained face. "Brace yourself." Before beginning to pull.
Eula screamed in agony, the leather piece falling from her lips. Tears threatened to leave her eyes. The pain was too much. She gripped the bedsheets, the fabric threatening to rip. She couldn't take any more-
"Done." Amber said, successfully pulled the bullet that was lodged deep into her leg. Barbara had turned to see the object that was deep in her leg and nearly vomited. That was stuck in her leg?! The Pilot closed her wound with another anti-septic spray and wrapping new bandages. Eula breathed heavily, shuddering to fight off the pain. Barbara steeled herself, muttering another prayer before speaking to the Pilot. "Allow me to take over."
Amber let her, as Barbara began to sing a soft song of comfort and love. Water droplets began to swirl around her as she continued singing. The droplets built up until it formed a halo of water, then it surrounded Eula's leg like a sock. Barbara reached a melody and the water glowed slightly. Eula shuddered, but not from pain. Instead, she calmed down and her breathing slowed. Amber watched both in awe and disbelief. This was something she couldn't really explain with science or wrap her head around. The deaconess finished her song, the water droplets now becoming regular water, moistening Eula's leg and staining the bedsheets.
"I was able to heal her broken bones. She should be able to be active in a few days." Barbara said, turning to the Pilot who was wide eyed. She couldn't see her reaction because of the helmet.
"Uh...okay. Yeah. Great. Thanks." Amber sighed. "Well, I'm going off." She opened the door behind her to leave.
"Amber, wait." Eula called out, both grabbing the attention of the Pilot and Barbara. She clenched her grip on the doorknob. Not this again...
"Amber?" Barbara looked at Eula, before turning the woman. "I-is that really you?" She asked with wide eyes.
The woman closed the door, before turning to face them. She sighed. "I don't know man. I don't know who the hell you are all talking about, and you somehow know my name." She takes a seat on one of the chairs. "Can someone please tell me what's going on? I'm getting deja vu from both of you and it's making me sick."
Eula and Barbara stayed silent for a moment. This was more complicated than they thought. Eula broke the silence first. "I think you must've lost your memory, if you recognize things even though you have no memory of them. You may not remember us, but we remember you."
"Okay, so I have amnesia...why am I so important to you then?" Amber asked. Eula seemed to be hesitant to answer, but Barbara answered.
"B-because you've left such an impact into our lives back here. You touched many hearts in Mondstadt and you were a dear friend to us."
"Apparently, close enough to immediately forgive me despite nearly taking your leg off." The Pilot muttered as she pressed her fingers against the temples of her helmet. Truth be told, this was hurting her head. This planet looked so bizarre, yet for some reason she finds it familiar. And she apparently has amnesia? She wanted to just ignore everything and get on with how she can go back. Back to Harmony. Back to Kay...Yet at the same time, there's this curiosity that was burning inside of her. It started with that damn ominous fuzzball. A part of her wanted to learn more about this world, Teyvat and Mondstadt, and how she used to fit in here. She sighed. "God, this fucking sucks." She looked at the two of them. "Okay. You've gotten my interest. I'll hear you out." Eula's and Barbara's faces brightened.
"But." Amber continued. "I must find a way home first. As much as I'd like to stay here, there's a lot of things back home that I have to fix because I'm 'dead'."
The two seemed to look conflicted at that. Amber ignored that for now. "Will you help me with that?"
Barbara paused for a moment before nodding. "I will...do my best to help in any way I can."
Eula nodded as well. "I shall do the same."
Amber blinked, before nodding. "Alright then." She stands up. "Now, does anyone know where this...Headquarters is? The blondie Jean is calling me over. I think I'm in trouble."
Eula answered. "It is not far from the Cathedral, actually. We went past it a few moments ago. It's the large building with the bell tower. I would accompany you there, but as you said, my leg is still healing." She narrowed her eyes at her. "I will my revenge for that."
The Pilot looked at Eula, before turning to Barbara. "Is she usually like this, asking for revenge?" The deaconess giggled. "Do not worry, it's a habit of her to say that since her noble family has...bad blood with the Knights of Favonius."
'that is oddly adorable.'
Amber nodded, noting 'Knights of Favonius'. "I'll hear that story when I have the time. Thank you, Barbara." She went for the door, before she had an idea. Amber turned around to look at Eula, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Oh, about that revenge, say we resolve it in your room?" She teased, giving a little wave of her fingers before leaving the room.
Barbara tilted her head in innocent confusion before turning to Eula. "What does she mean by 'resolve in your room?'" She realized Eula was blushing. "Eula, are you alright?"
"T-That...sly, sweet-tongued, little RASCAL!" She cursed, covering her face in embarrassment. "She will pay for that!"
Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Mondstadt
10:30
Amber stopped at the front door of the Headquarters, a rather grandeur building of stone bricks. It looked like a mix of a castle and a mansion, with a bell tower on the right side of it. Two knights guarded the gate, standing stoic and tall.
"You think we should really talk to that woman Jean?" She consulted BB. "I mean, yeah, she might be the leader of this Knights of Favonius group but how can we be sure she'll help us get off of this planet."
"Pilot, I cannot say what I think as I am meant to be your Titan, not your personal assistant. However, if it is our primary goal to leave the planet, we will uphold the mission." BB replied. "Perhaps we can start with learning the planet's resources if we are to find ways to communicate the Frontier Militia. Looking at our limited database, this planet doesn't seem to be any system known in the Frontier."
"Good point." Amber muttered, before she looked at the doors. "Better get started then." She approached the doors and entered the headquarters. She was greeted with a hallway that had four doors, leading to four rooms. Leading straight forward is a staircase to the second floor. Amber turned her head to one of the knights guarding the place. "Excuse me, where's the office?"
The knight pointed to the door of the Grandmaster's office. "Over there. You're the visitor?" Amber gave a nod. The knight gave her a look before pointing to the door. "Do you need me to announce your presence?"
The Pilot shook her head. "Nah, I'll just make myself at home." She smiled as she went to the door of the office and opened it.
The Grandmaster's office did fit the name, as it was a really spacious office. A polished wooden floor with a rug before the desk. To the left of the desk, in Amber's perspective, is a small library. Bookshelves filled with books with a clock in between that showed the time. Surprisingly, she can read the time. 10:32 A.M in the morning. To the right of the desk, is a table with a few chairs. Perhaps for meetings with the board. Next to the table are red couches, positioned by the window. On the desk was a chandelier (fancy), some kind of document holder and an old looking globe. Maybe it's all just for show, maybe they have some use to it. Behind the desk in a framed window with curtains. An unfortunate shame for Amber, it will be a tricky window to jump through.
As expected, the office was occupied. The blonde woman, Jean, sat on her desk like some executive manager in a white-collar office. What she did not expect were the two extra people standing on either side of Jean. There was a woman with a large purple hat, wearing an outfit that was mostly purple with what appears to be lace stockings. Seriously, what is with these people and lace? The purple witch was standing by the small library, talking to Jean.
The other one was a man that Amber felt uneasy just by looking at him, wearing some kind of fuzzy cape, what appears to be a blue and white outfit that made him look like a pirate. The eyepatch over his right eye certainly made him look like one. He was leaning by the wall, also conversing with Jean.
It seems that they didn't notice Amber enter the office, and so Amber spoke. If only she had said something else.
"Damn, is it Halloween already? I didn't know witches and pirates were still popular." She quickly shut her mouth as the three suddenly turned their heads towards her.
"Oh my, this isn't what I expected from our new guest~" The witch giggled in amusement. "Although, you are correct to say that I am a witch."
The eye patched man gave a wry smile. "I'm no pirate, but that's something I didn't see coming." He turned to Jean. "Is this our guest? Though, I'm a bit off put to call a lawbreaker a guest."
Amber could feel this man taunting her, just with his talking. It was getting on her nerves. Thankfully, before she could do something stupid, Jean answered him. "Yes, that is our...guest." She cleared her throat. "Mondstadt welcomes you, windborne traveler. I am Acting Grand Master Jean. This is our librarian, Lisa." She gestured to the purple witch, who gave a wave. "And this is our Cavalry Captain, Kaeya." She gestured to eye-patch man, who gives a bow in response. "I hope your journey here was pleasant?"
"Well, if carrying the person you nearly killed back to a hospital loaded with regret, then I would agree that it was a pleasant walk." The Pilot responded with some sarcasm.
Kaeya chuckled, muttering. "I like this one already."
Jean continued. "We cannot thank you enough for bringing our captain, Eula, back to safety. If we had lost another important member of the Knights, it would have been less than pleasant." She seemed sad at the mention. "Anyway, there are a few things we'd like to ask you–"
"Wait...you said another? I'm assuming there was someone among your ranks that didn't make it somehow?" Amber inquired.
The Grand Master looked hesitant at first, before glancing at a photo from the wall to her left. She sighed. "There was. A young knight like the rest of us. She...passed away in an expedition. She died well and with honor, doing her duty."
Amber looked over to the picture frame. A young brunette with gold, vibrant eyes and an energetic smile. A red bunny-like headband with golden outlines sat on her head. She widened her eyes underneath her helmet. It was herself, back when she was 18. What was that doing there?
"I-Is that me?" She blurted out in confusion, which in turn confused the Grand Master. "Y-your picture...?" She widened her eyes at the implication. "W-wait a minute..." The two beside her realized what Amber said, raising faces of shock and confusion. Amber realized what she had said and cursed to herself. Great, she'll have to go through this can of worms again. She really needed to keep her mouth shut.
The former Outrider calmed herself with a deep breath, letting her hand leave the holster. She didn't want another Eula incident.
"Okay. Hold up." The Pilot seem to undo something from underneath her helmet. "Give me a moment...this locks really are a pain in the ass." After some clicks, she took off her helmet and let it rest from underneath her arm. Puffing out her hair, she showed her face to the three members before her. "I think this should clear up some things." Looking at their shocked faces, she stayed silent. Was she in trouble?
Kaeya looked like he'd seen a real ghost. Same with Lisa, tears threatening to leave her eyes.
"Oh, Barbatos above..." Jean stood up, covering her mouth. Tears began to pool around her eyes. "A-Amber?" She walked away from her seat.
The Pilot chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah. It's me. Whatever." She took a step back when Jean walked towards her, but did not run away as Jean wrapped her arms around her, breaking down into a sob. Is this going to be a recurring thing to everyone she meets? As a sign of consideration, she patted her back awkwardly as the Grand Master cried into her shoulder. 'She smells like flowers and rural air.' She thinks.
Jean pulls away, eyes now bloodshot. She heaved a sigh of disbelief. "G-goodness. What happened to you? What are you wearing? You cut your hair and..." Her hands felt her arms and her shoulders. Her eyes met Amber's, realizing their eye level were about the same level. "Y-you've grown so big!"
Amber gave a small nod with confusion. "Uh, yeah?" She awkwardly patted Jean's head before turning to the other two members standing there. "Uh, is there anybody who wants a hug before we continue?"
"I...I'll think I'll pass for now." He shook his head, still in disbelief. "It's good to see you still alive and kicking."
Lisa, on the other hand, went over to her and hugged Amber, the Pilot simply standing there like a child being embraced by an aunt they don't know. Lisa wiped her tears and pulled away from the embrace. "It was painful to hear that you died. I have always seen potential in you, so to see it being snuffed out so early was devastating." Her voice cracked a little from emotion, her hand touched the cheek with the scar on it. "Now seeing you mature makes me feel proud in a way."
Amber gently held Lisa's hand, before pushing it away. "I...I'm flattered. Really, I am. But I don't understand what you're talking about. Hell, I don't even know you guys personally and suddenly you're hugging me like I'm an old friend."
That seemed to interrupt the bittersweet moment for a bit. Jean tilted her head in confusion. "Wait...you don't remember us?"
Amber shook her head. "I have no idea who you people are. Did you not hear me the first time?"
Lisa shrugged. "Perhaps in the moment of our reunion, we didn't." The Pilot fought the urge to roll her eyes in front of them.
"Do you not remember anything of your past here?" Kaeya raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head once more. "Nope." She popped out the 'p'. "All I know about this world is that I used to live here, I died, and then got transported to another world with amnesia." She shrugged. "Look I'm just as clueless as you are when it comes to shit like this."
"Must your language be so vulgar?" Lisa frowned.
Amber responded with a pout. "Hey, I'm 21 and you're not my mom, I can say whatever the fuck I want. Not my fault I grew up into the army. Soldiers cuss left and right, all day, all night." That got the surprise out of the three of them but they seem to ignore it. For now.
Jean's eyes perked up. "Wait. Amber, do you remember how you got into this world?"
The brunette put two fingers to her chin. "Well, if I remember correctly, I do not know. I just woke up in the middle of some godforsaken forest with no supplies in a hunk of metal that saved me from getting squashed by a nuclear blast."
"I think that raised more questions than answers." Kaeya commented.
Amber shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me. I just remembered what happened before I got here."
"Could you show us where you last woke up then?" Jean requested. The Pilot stiffened at the mention of that and put her hand to her pistol. She narrowed her eyes. "What are you going to do there?"
Jean sighed. "Amber. You just have to trust us. We've recently monitored two meteors crashing into Mondstadt. We wanted to investigate the meteorites so that they aren't a threat to us, so we sent two teams for each meteor." She paused. "Since that you've met Eula, I think you're one of those two meteors that crashed here."
"I see." Amber thought aloud. "So, you want to check if the crash sites to see if they contain anything that will be a threat to your nation?" Jean nodded. "Will you tell no one to whatever you're going to see there?"
Jean looked at Lisa and Kaeya, whom they both nodded. She turned back to the Pilot and raised her right hand. "As Acting Grand Master and a knight of the Knights of Favonius, we will swear secrecy to whatever we will witness there."
Amber narrowed her eyes again. Usually such a thing from Amber would be harmless, but this new Amber felt intimidating. She had this dangerous aura around her that warned them about crossing her. Her response was a bit justified - seeing that a third party had attempted to capture her Titan made her on edge. How could these 'knights' be any different?
But she could trust them...right?
Once she was sure they wouldn't do anything suspicious, she put on her helmet and headed for the door.
"Follow me."
Update (12/18/21): Fixed some pacing issues and grammar errors.
*stands for Team Leader
A/N: Hi there. If you noticed, I actually changed the one of the genres. I changed it back to its original state, I am sorry for my inconsistency. I didn't realize how angsty the start of this fic really was.
As for the people who were squeamish from the bullet removal scene, I'm sorry about that too, but hey, I made this fic rated M for a reason.
I might follow a format where in a segment we get glimpses of Amber's time in the Frontier and then another segment where the main story happens. Any thoughts on that format? Leave your thoughts in the reviews.
Thanks for reading!
- LNC3LOT
[overhaul entry 2/4: added details and changes for continuity]