Chapter Five: Tensions
Liyue Harbor, Liyue
15:34
Aether yawned as he walked down the streets of the Chihu Rock district of Liyue Harbor, just about to leave the city. Hands behind his back, he decided to take in the view of the street and waving back to those who waved at him. Though he maybe the Honorary Knight and Hero of Liyue, those titles didn't mean anything to him since that day.
How an Abyss Herald was able to intercept them during their domain purge was something the Traveler couldn't explain even now. And if the Princess knew any better...well, their next family reunion will not be as pleasant as before. Still, her death had wounded him far worse than any god ever could (or Harbinger for that matter. Speaking of which, where did Childe go after the chaos with Osial?). The anguish was terrible enough that even staying in Mondstadt reminded Aether of the fallen Outrider. So, he decided to move to Liyue to try and let the sadness pass.
The months that he spent in Liyue were not that pleasant either. He remembered the number of times he would throw himself into near fatal battles with Ruin Hunters, Geovishaps and the other monsters in the Liyue countryside. He would usually be scolded by Paimon, or some other healer that would patch him up after his reckless charges.
In fact, his suicidal recklessness would catch the attention of many of his companions in Liyue, even those in the Liyue Qixing. They would often visit him during his times of recovery, which thankfully made his bedrest less boring. Keqing had once given him quite a scolding...before he was immediately embraced tightly by the Yuheng. Hu Tao would also visit him at times, joking about "not dying the way a warrior should, otherwise the funeral wouldn't be as pleasant." before she would help nurse him back to health or leave a gift. Zhongli would also come by to help him recover and even talked about his sorrows, which he had plenty of experience with as Morax.
As of now, Aether is not over Amber's death yet, but at least he isn't throwing himself into another Regisivine. As for the floating fairy next to him, Paimon was currently munching on some Tiger Fish that Aether bought before they left. She too was shaken by Amber's death, but handled it surprisingly well. Aether's recklessness? Not so much. But now, she's happily munching like before.
"Mm, that fish was good." She hummed with satisfaction after finishing the Liyue delicacy. "Where will we go now?"
Aether pondered for a moment before answering. "We're going back...to Mondstadt." At the mention of the place, Paimon's grin faltered and turned to concern after seeing the Traveler's reluctant face. "Aether...? Are you sure you want to go back?"
"Y-yeah...I'm good." He nodded, gripping the straps of his leather pack. "It's going to be hard...but we'll have to go back there at some point."
Paimon's worried gaze stayed for a few moments before she sighed. "Paimon won't stop you, but you don't have to force yourself, you know?" Aether gave an assuring smile in response as they continued to walk down the street. The Traveler notices a friend of his, Xiangling, cooking up a dish in Wanmin Restaurant and gives a wave. Xiangling has also been one of the other people that helped Aether recover, feeding him nutritious and divine dishes. She looks up from her stove in the kitchen and gives a wave back with a happy smile. Then she speaks to the other chef in the kitchen, Chef Mao, before she grabs something and runs up to Aether.
"Hey, guys!" The young chef greets, catching up to them. She looks to be carrying some kind of bag.
"Hi Xiangling!" Paimon responds, before she sniffs the air. "Mm! What is that smell?"
Xiangling shows the bag. "It's your food. I just wanted to cook up something for you two before you guys go. You seem to be heading off somewhere?"
The Traveler nods. "We're heading back to Mondstadt. Some...unfinished business there." Xiangling nods in understanding.
"I see...Hey, I want to say I'm sorry about your loss. It must be terrible losing someone close to you like that." The girl bows her head slightly. Aether simply sighs and nods, even patting the chef's head.
"You didn't really have to; it's been three months now. But thank you." He gives a smile. After the brief awkward silence, Xiangling hands over the bag to Aether. "It's Matsutake Meat Rolls I made just for you. Should keep you full on your way back."
"Got it." He nods. "Thank you again, I've got to go now." He chuckles awkwardly.
"No, no. It's alright." Xiangling giggles. "Have a nice trip!"
With that, Aether and Paimon start their long trek back to Mondstadt. The two decided to travel back to the city gates through the docks instead of the main street. They could've used a Teleport Waypoint, but frankly he didn't want the change to be jarring. It wasn't long before another friend of theirs would catch up with them, once they passed the main gate.
"Aether!" A soft voice called his name from behind. The Traveler turned his head to see Ganyu of all people approaching, the secretary of Yuehai Pavilion jogging to catch up to them.
"Ganyu? What a surprise." He responds with a smirk. "Do I have anything that got the Qixing's attention?"
The half-qilin widened her eyes and shook her head. "No, no. I just finished all the work needed for today early and I almost forgot to meet you." Her gaze shifted downward in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'm in no rush." Aether shrugs. "At least you made it just in time." His lips curled into a smile after seeing Ganyu's face brighten up a bit. "So, you want to talk or...?"
"I merely wanted to personally bid you farewell." She answered. "I know you still have trouble coping with the loss of your friend, but I do hope you find peace one day. I wish you luck on your journey back."
"Thank you." Aether smiled. "Well, it's been real fun, Ganyu, but-"
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ganyu holds up a finger and hands Aether a sheet of paper, to the confusion of the two.
"What's that?" Paimon looks over. "Is that a...copy of the Adventurer's Guild Leaderboard?"
"Yes. I just finished business with the Guild when I heard from the other adventurers about this newcomer that climbed up the ranks very quickly. According to Katheryne, this new adventurer cleared a Level Four Ascension Quest on her first day. It was rather bizarre to hear such a thing, but after seeing evidence I though you should know." Ganyu answered
"A Level Four Ascension Quest on her FIRST DAY?!" Paimon widened her eyes with shock, as did Aether. Those types of quests are very difficult to clear, not to mention leaving you with sore limbs and asking for more Sweet Madames afterwards. Aether would know, he did one himself. So, to hear a ROOKIE, complete that kind of quest on her FIRST DAY, was unbelievable.
"That's...That's impossible! Paimon didn't know such a thing even IS possible!" He heard Paimon voice her disbelief as he checked the list. He finds his name around the top five as usual. What shocked him was the new name that was just right above his name, along with the nation where the adventurer came from.
"Red Devil Baroness – Mondstadt"
"Who is this...Red Devil Baroness?" Aether asked, narrowing his eyes a little. He was no sore loser; in fact, he was impressed seeing someone climb up the leaderboard so fast. But he was suspicious at how fast she went up. Such a story would sound impressive, yes, but it could be easily fabricated...by spies. And the choice of the name that this new adventurer was a little off. Reminded him too much of the way a Fatui Harbinger might name oneself. But that wouldn't make sense, would it? The Handbook even classifies Fatui as enemies.
If he didn't have a reason to go to the Nation of the Wind, he certainly had one now.
Ganyu shrugged, looking off into the horizon. "I...personally do not know her. She just appeared out of nowhere yesterday. But her equipment didn't seem to make sense...a jump kit?" It would appear that she was lost in her thoughts. By the time she turned to Aether, he was gone, leaving Paimon there. "Oh."
"Paimon's really sorry, Ms. Ganyu." Paimon bows her head. "Paimon doesn't know what's gotten into Aether. It's nice seeing you again." She floats to the direction where he ran off. "WAIT UP!"
The interaction between the two made Ganyu smile, leaving the two to their own devices as she returns to the Harbor. However, her smile falters when she remembers something...odd. The two meteors that suddenly appeared in Teyvat's skies a few days ago was not only seen from Mondstadt, the place where it landed, but also in other parts of the world such as Liyue. While it did cause a bit of a panic during the time as one of them streaked closely above the City of Contracts, thankfully it was settled and no one was hurt. But during that moment, Ganyu could feel something wrong with those two meteors. It did not have the same feeling like Rex Lapis' own meteors, nor did it have any divine sensations like the old meteorites in the Chasm. It felt...unnatural, metallic even. Like invaders from a foreign land. Could this Red Devil Baroness be connected, hence why she only knew her now?
Whatever the case, she could only hope it will stay far away from Liyue's borders.
City of Mondstadt, Mondstadt
15:47
"Goddammit...now it's gotten boring again..."
Amber groaned as she worked on her workbench in the maintenance room of her house, cleaning her P2016. Her helmet was placed on the side, ready to be used whenever she needed it. While it was good getting recognition from her fellow adventurers and having her name spread far and wide as the newly acclaimed Red Devil Baroness, she felt as if there wasn't enough for her do as an S-Rank Adventurer. Sure, she was given commissions and extra quests but she had done that earlier this morning. She could also explore the rest of the world of Teyvat, but she wanted to finish things here in Mondstadt first.
She kept brushing the barrel of the 45-caliber pistol and clearing it of any residue from the gunpowder, checking it by letting the afternoon sunlight shine through the metal tube to see if there was any left. Despite a half a millennium into modern warfare, guns still need to be cleaned. It was good thing the Frontier and Tai taught her how to maintain her guns.
Amber smiled. Tai Lastimosa was truly a good man, despite his troubles. A good father, a badass Pilot, and a mentor – to her, to Kay and to Jack. She put down the gun for a moment and checked her helmet, using the holographic screen projected by the visor to navigate through the helmet's data. Though Pilot helmets are not known to use holograms, she and BB have found a way to use the projector that was still intact on the broken Northstar back in the lake. In fact, there was still plenty of salvageable parts from the Northstar that she could use, now sitting in a wooden chest in the other end of the room.
She checked a folder called Photos and scrolled through them, many memories rushing back to her. Amber found what she was looking for. A selfie of her and Tai carrying old G2 battle rifle models (the G2A4 to be exact). That was her first time using a firearm. She smiled, remembering that day like it was yesterday. An incorrect grip of the rifle gave her a black eye from the recoil, but thankfully was able to hit a target by the end of the session. As celebration, Tai had treated her to some cold mix of jelly, banana, milk and shaved ice. Good times.
Amber swiped away at the hologram, shutting it off, and went back to her P2016, wiping the barrel and the extra moving parts clean before she started reassembling. As she locked the slide to the pistol grip, she looked back at her helmet. "Hey, BB?"
"Do you require anything, Pilot?" The Titan asked. Amber racked the slide, checking for any faults. Seeing that there were none, she twirled it in her hand before putting it away. "What's the recipe for modern gunpowder?" She asked. She had noticed this problem when she had gone through two of her magazines of her P2016 since the day before yesterday.
She was running out of ammo fast.
"Searching..." BB went through their database, before she answered. "Smokeless powder requires nitrocellulose, but it is unlikely Teyvat has the technology to create nitrocellulose; however, according to your bullet reloading manual, the main ingredients of basic gunpowder are sulfur, charcoal dust and potassium nitrate."
"Hm." Amber thought, putting her hands by her chin. "We can definitely make charcoal, but I have no idea where to get sulfur in Teyvat. And does potassium nitrate even exist in Teyvat?"
"We could use our scanners to find our ingredients; however, it would take too long and would require exploration of the entire world." BB suggested. "We would need a large source of information if we are to find what we're looking for."
Amber nodded. "If fantasy worlds are anything, the library is our best source of information." The Pilot shrugs, taking her helmet and her pistol from the workbench. "I don't know where to find a library here in Mondstadt, so I'll just ask Lisa." She put on her headgear and holstered her pistol.
"Copy that, Pilot." BB responded as Amber went to put on her bomber jacket over her tank top. "What, you're not going to say mission update or something?" The Pilot asked.
"Usually, we should follow our orders given to us by the commander. But we are currently on our own, and as such you are commanding officer." The Titan answered. "However, we should not forget our primary objective of finding a way to contact the Militia."
"Right, right." Amber nodded. "I'll put that primary objective on hold for now. First, we get info on our planned materials first." Remembering a very old animated show she used to watch with Kay, she puffed her chest and did a heroic pose. "Time to get knowledge...AT THE LIBRARY!"
…
"Pilot, we must get going."
"Yeah, it sounded better in my head..."
[…]
"Amber, it's nice to see you again."
Lisa gave a smile as the Pilot entered the library in the Favonius Headquarters. There weren't much people currently in the library so she was free to speak her name. Quietly, of course. Amber looked around, whistling softly at the number of books stored. "Pretty neat library you got here, Liz." She commented, picking up a random book and looking at its contents.
"Well, it's important for me to maintain the library and its books. I'm the librarian after all." She responded. Amber pressed a button on her helmet, the visor opening to reveal her face. She gave a small smile, before she put the visor back on. Just in time too, as someone waved goodbye to Lisa. He gave the Pilot a weird glance and left the library without another word.
"Right..." Amber muttered. "So, uh, I need some books about stuff here in Teyvat." She tapped her foot.
"Alright, what do you need?"
"Do you have anything related to chemistry? Or crafting?"
Lisa tilted her head in confusion, before she answered. "Hm, I'm not quite sure what you mean by chemistry. Is it something from your...Frontier worlds?" She asked. Amber felt the urge to face palm. They probably don't even know what basic science is...yet.
"Pilot, perhaps mentioning an archaic form of science will help?" BB suggested. Amber paused at that, before she remembered the name and asked again. "How about alchemy?"
That seemed to surprise Lisa. "Oh, we have plenty of those. In fact, some of the books here are textbooks from Sumeru Academy, one of the best academies out there in Teyvat." She smiled as she stood up. "Follow me, I'll show you the way." With the Pilot following, they walked towards the alchemy section of the library.
"Care to tell me why you've taken an interest in alchemy? Gliding and stories would be more of your thing, from what I remember." Lisa asked as they walked down the stairs. Amber shrugged in response. "It's more of learning the locations of different materials around Teyvat. It's for my weapon." She said, putting her hands in her pockets of her bomber jacket. Lisa nodded, humming. "I see. If that is the case, doesn't the Adventurer's Handbook have information on certain materials?"
"The materials I'm looking for are a little more specific." Amber corrected. "I don't suppose you know anything of a yellowish solid powder called sulfur, do you?"
Lisa seemed to stopped walking, turning around to face Amber. "That kind of powder is dangerous to use in potion brewing, and alchemy in general. It could potentially harm the process and taint the final result. I haven't heard of that powder since my time in Sumeru Academy...is that what you call brimstone?"
Amber nodded. "Yup. Sulfur. We use that as an ingredient for explosives and fertilizer in the Frontier. Do you know where I could find them in Teyvat?"
"They're pretty hard to find around here. There are a few supplies of it in Sumeru but I don't think the academy will simply lend you some." Lisa rubbed her temple with her finger. "If I remember correctly, I believe you can find brimstone around Natlan's volcanoes, or being sold on the market in Liyue."
"Okay, that's one thing down...what about potassium nitrate?" Amber asked. That chemical seemed to confuse Lisa, who asked. "Come again?"
"Potassium nitrate. Well, it's also called saltpeter. It looks like a salt that's usually found in caves, mostly from bat shit. Familiar?" Amber explained. Lisa seemed to think, before shaking her head. "No, I don't believe I've encountered it before."
"Shame..." The Pilot sighed. "Well, wouldn't want to waste your time, care to show some alchemy books?" Lisa nodded as she went to a bookshelf, grabbing some books about alchemy. The librarian returns to Amber before handing her a small pile of books, who carefully received it. "Here. I hope this will help in your alchemy projects." She said with a smile.
"Thanks Liz." Amber answered, with Lisa giggling at her new nickname in amusement. The librarian gave a wink. "If you need me, I'll be at my desk." She said, before leaving Amber alone, returning to her desk. The Pilot looked at the pile of books before she went to a secluded table and opened each one, covering half the table with the books. Then, with the help of BB's scanners, began to read.
The whole process took her about ten minutes, just going through each book. By now, everyone had left the library, leaving Amber and Lisa in the library. By the time she was finished, the doors of the library opened to allow someone in. From what Amber could hear from downstairs, she could hear a male with a mature baritone and a soft stuttering voice of a shy female talking to Lisa.
"Scans complete. Data has been copied." BB stated in her helmet. Amber nodded, closing the books and putting them in a neat pile. Quite a lot of information was stored in BB's data drive now, about materials, the art of alchemy and the process. She was surprised to hear the existence of a crafting table, and of its use in alchemy. That will definitely come in handy.
She was about to leave, when she remembered about the weird energy signature that she got from the Berserker Artifact, how similar it was to the Ark. Amber simply went to another part of the lower floor of the library and began to search for books relating to artifacts. A few minutes later, she came back but stumped. All she got was a lore dump of Mondstadt's mythos, and Teyvat's for that matter, which didn't help her search. No mention of an ancient alien civilization, nothing about an energy source called the Ark.
"How the hell could two separate things from opposite ends of the galaxy have an eerily similar energy signature? Did the aliens have space travel or something?" She muttered to herself as she returned the book to its shelf. Amber decided she was done here and headed back to the stairs, only for someone to accidentally hit her. It was a light bump, and thankfully whoever did bump to her didn't drop their books. "Watch where you're going." She said bluntly.
"I'm s-sorry!" A soft voice answered her. "I...I..." Amber rolled her eyes and turned to see who bumped her.
It was a girl, with long green hair tied to a low ponytail. She had a rather young face with amber eyes and black glasses. She seemed to be wearing some kind of white and blue outfit, complete with a cap on her head and white boots on her feet. Her hair seemed to be odd as two specific tassels began to quiver.
All in all, this girl looked adorable. And right now, this girl looked terrified. She stared at Amber with horror and dropped her books. The Pilot raised an eyebrow at this, what part of her made this girl look so horrified, near tears actually. "Hello? Teyvat to girl, you okay?" She got no answer, instead the girl continued to shake in fear, very close to bursting into tears.
"I-I-It's...y-y-you..." She muttered. Who the fuck was she talking about?
"Sucrose, there you...are..." Amber hears the baritone voice of the male falter and turns to see a young man with long ashy brown hair and teal eyes. He looks to be wearing a similar outfit to the girl, Sucrose as she's called, white coat over blue vest and navy-blue pants and boots. One might say he looks attractive, if even he looked angry. And right now, his face showed rage, but reigned in. The young man reached for his sword on his hip and drew it, which prompted for Amber to move her hand to her side, close to her pistol. The other hand was held up in a stop motion. "Woah, what's with the sword? Did I do something wrong?"
"Did you not forget what you did yesterday? You killed my men and ruined my research." He answered coldly. Sucrose squeaked and ran towards her superior, hiding behind him.
Amber looked at them and tilted her head. "Wait, what the fuck? I somehow killed your men? I don't mean to offend, but you hardly look the part of the Fatui fucks I've met."
"W-What, Fatui?" Sucrose repeated in confusion. In fact, the poor girl's initial terror had been replaced with confusion the more she looked at the Pilot. It was weird...
Albedo, however, did not believe Amber. "Do not try to twist this conversation around, criminal. You and your automaton killed them all."
"My...automaton...? What the HELL are you talking about?!" Amber was just as confused as Sucrose. "How the fuck do you know about my Titan?!" She was just about to pull her gun on him when someone interrupted.
"What's going on here?" The air around them suddenly became ionized, like the air before a thunderstorm, as Lisa walked down the stairs. Menacingly. "This must be some important issue, but may I remind you that this is a library you three are arguing in."
"I-I'm sorry, Miss Lisa!" Sucrose bowed her head and apologized before she answered. "I-I believe this is some misunderstanding." To the confusion of Albedo and the relief of Amber. The young alchemist pointed at Amber. "Mister Albedo, I remember your description of the criminal when you were reporting to Jean, a black and purple individual with a very strange helmet. This person here is does not have the black and purple colors. She isn't wearing any strange armor other than her helmet. And from what I remember, there was no mention of rabbit-like appendages on her head."
"Thank you!" Amber sighed. "Someone with a fucking brain!" Lisa and Sucrose frowned at that comment, but did not say anything about it.
Albedo frowned. "However, it is possible this person could have a connection with the criminal in some way. She has a similar helmet with the criminal." Amber sputtered out something in disbelief before she threw her arms in exasperation, her victory short lived. Sucrose slowly nodded; it was indeed a possibility. Still, it didn't feel like this woman was the culprit, even though she looks eerily similar to Albedo's description of the murderer.
"I see..." Lisa nodded. "Well, in that case, could you settle this in Jean's office? The library is hardly a place to settle such hostilities here."
"Of course." Albedo nodded, sheathing his sword while giving a cold look at Amber before leaving the library. Sucrose gave a bow to the two of them, gave Amber a curious look, before she scurried after him like a puppy following its mother.
The Pilot sighed. "I don't know what the fuck happened yesterday. I was out wasted that night." That caused Lisa to frown.
"Amber, you were drunk again, were you?" She asked, to which the former Outrider coughed in response. "No..."
The librarian sighed. "I know you probably love the taste of alcohol, but please regulate yourself. I've seen plenty of drunkards ruin their lives because of their drinking and I don't want that to happen to you."
"As if my life hasn't been ruined already." She muttered quietly before she sighed. "Alright, guess I'll go after them. Don't want to be late to court." Amber headed for the stairs up to the exit of the library, with Lisa's gaze turning to worry as the Pilot left. What did she mean by her life being ruined?
[…]
Amber yawned as she sat on a chair positioned in the middle of the Master's Office; with Jean standing by her desk, Albedo and Sucrose on their own chairs, and surprisingly Eula who was on the couch. Apparently thanks to Barbara's healing spells, the Recon Captain was now back in active duty and no longer need the crutch to support herself. She had just been reporting on her findings of the crash site when the two alchemists burst into the room. And now she has stayed to hear the Pilot confess.
"Before we start." Jean spoke. "Is it alright if you took off your helmet?"
Amber sighed. "And why would I do that? I'm clearly fine with it on."
"It could give them an insight on you and to help clear some misunderstandings."
Jean and Amber stared at each other for a moment before the Pilot sighed, reaching for the straps underneath her helmet. "Fine, I'll bite. If it means clearing my name off the subject list." After the helmet was off, Sucrose gasped in shock and Albedo widened his eyes.
Amber put her helmet on the backrest of her chair, showing her face to everyone present. "There, helmet's off." She looked at the two alchemists. "Before you ask, yes I am alive...somehow. I can't promise I'll spill all of the beans to you guys, even they don't know much about me." She gestured to Eula and Jean.
"This is definitely an interesting turn of events." Albedo commented. "But this doesn't answer my question. Do you have any relations to the criminal that attacked us in the mountain?"
"Listen." She sighed. "I don't know jack shit about the crime or the criminal. If anything, I was asleep during that night." Albedo narrowed his eyes, but Eula spoke up, coughing into her fist. "I can confirm...she reeked of alcohol when I brought her from the tavern."
Amber's face flushed red with embarrassment. "Nobody needed to know that!" The alchemist looked between the two with a raised eyebrow. He sworn he saw Eula crack a smirk.
"I see..." Albedo nodded. "From my observation, I don't see any reason to pursue my accusation. You don't appear to be lying."
"So...We good?" Amber asked the two alchemists. Seeing that there were no hostile responses, she sighed. "I'll take that as a yes. Now that's out of the way, what the fuck happened? I just come to the library looking for info on materials and suddenly I hear about a criminal running loose?"
Jean sighed. "Well, it's just as a shocking to me, we were filled in on that info just this morning. Albedo here reported of an individual with a similar weapon to yours, similar armor and a walking automaton that attacked the investigation team on the second crash site."
Amber looked to be troubled. "...oh shit...someone similar to me? With similar gear and a walking automaton?" She stood up from her chair and put her helmet on the table, beginning to pace around the room. "Fuck me, this isn't good."
Meanwhile Sucrose glances over to Eula. "Excuse me, Miss Eula. Is Miss Amber usually this...vulgar? I don't recall her speaking such profanities so frequently."
Eula merely gave a shrug. "She's been like this since we found her. Her time with some sort of military perhaps caused this change." The young alchemist gave a nod of understanding, now her curiosity for the Pilot growing even further.
Back with the main three talking, Jean grimly nodded. "It is. After Albedo reported, I considered deploying search teams and commissioning it to the Adventurer's Guild. Hopefully we could find the two and bring them to justice."
"No, no, no. Don't do that. You don't understand." Amber answered with a serious tone. "You just let an enemy Pilot. A FUCKING ENEMY PILOT AND A TITAN ON THE LOOSE." She beat her palm to emphasize her point. "You're letting someone like ME, a wall running run-and-gun badass, out into Mondstadt. And Lord knows what kind of Titan escaped." She pinched the bridge of his nose. Then she turned to the alchemist. "Can you tell me what the automaton, er, Titan looked like?"
Albedo closed his eyes, remembering the mechanical giant. "It was roughly around 20 feet tall. Thin limbs, a squarish body, carried some kind of catalyst that can shoot multiple projectiles at once." Amber's face paled. "Oh shit...did it carry a sword?" The alchemist nodded. "Goddammit...this is bad." The Pilot clutched her head
Eula stood up and approached her. "Amber, are you alright?" She was stopped when Amber holding up a hand with a finger. "Okay, okay. Albedo, anything else? What were its colors? Was it olive-green or white?"
Albedo answered almost immediately. "The colors were black and purple, matching the colors of its pilot." Amber nodded rapidly, gesturing for him to continue. "And it had a weird insignia...like a skull with curly horns on a red backdrop." That did it.
"MOTHERFUCKER!" She grabbed the chair and threw it to the wall with a loud crash, breaking it into splinters. This action greatly shocked everyone, even startled poor Sucrose. Amber grabbed her face and let out a muffled scream of pain. "Fucking Christ...why? Why him?" She said after loosening her grip on her face.
Eula put a hand on her shoulder, worry spread across her face. "Amber. Take a breath, calm down." The silence that followed was deafening, as Amber took a moment to breathe. All were worried of the Pilot after her sudden outburst.
After a while, she answered with earnest. "What we're dealing with...is far worse than a simple rogue Titan. That insignia? That's Apex Predators, a faction in the Frontier that has the best of the best mercenaries out there. They can kill veteran Pilots with ease. And their Titans? Good luck just fighting one. Not to fucking mention...that Titan out there is a Ronin class. Yeah, sure it has a giant sword. But it can also warp the fabric of space-time to teleport from place to place."
Albedo widened his eyes slightly at the mention. "So that explains its odd disappearance..." He muttered.
'It doesn't even help that it's the same fucking Ronin that I fought back on Fhranth, that damn Pilot that cost me to be burnt up in a nuclear explosion. So, he's here too...' Amber thought, as she gripped the bridge of her nose.
"What do you suggest we do?" Jean crossed her arms, now very concerned at the thing that they let loose. Amber sighed as she scratched her cheek with the scar on it.
"I'm the only one that has experience fighting those mechanical bastards, but I don't have my Titan with me." She answered. "The best that we can do right now find the exact location of that rogue Pilot and keep tabs on it. We're fucked if we don't find him sooner."
There seem to be another brief moment of silence as Eula, Jean and Albedo looked at each other in some form of silent conversation. Jean nodded. "Alright then. I don't see any other option; and you look to be the most experienced here with Titans, so we will follow your lead for now."
"Right...guess the captain comes out of retirement." She muttered before looking at Albedo. "I need to see the second crash site. I wouldn't really know what happened there until I see it myself."
Albedo nodded, as he stands up from his chair. "I will show you the way." His assistant goes to stand up too, but hesitates. He notices this and speaks to her. "I understand you do not wish to return to that place. I can allow you some time of rest while we handle the situation."
"I will go with you." Sucrose firmly answered. "My curiosity of Miss Amber is too great to ignore. And I have questions that I wish can be answered."
"You sure? We're probably going to be dealing some crazy shit there." Amber warned. The young alchemist steeled herself and nodded.
"I-I can take it." She said. Albedo flashed a small smile at her, perhaps proud of Sucrose's courage. Amber looked over to the Recon Captain. "Right, as for you guys...?"
"We will do our best to inform the populace not to approach the mountain." Eula nodded. "I will be the one to set up a perimeter and evacuate the borders of Dragonspine."
The Pilot nodded. "Sounds like a plan." Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "Before we go, can we pass by my place? I want to get something first."
Crash Site Beta, Dragonspine, Mondstadt
16:39
The trio arrived just a few meters away from the second crash site, with Amber taking the lead. Eula had initially joined them on the way, but broke off to tell the adventurers and researchers by the outskirts to stay away from the mountain. The past hour on the way there was mostly silent, with both alchemists looking at her DMR with curiosity. It was amusing at first, but after hours of walking with them still looking at it, it was starting to get uncomfortable. "Could you quit looking at my rifle? It's weird."
"You have a catalyst of your own." Albedo muttered; his eyes still fixated on the weapon. "Does it work similarly to the catalysts we've found or does it have a special feature?"
The Pilot sighed. "It's standard issue, I don't think there's anything special about it." She looked at her DMR. "You guys are like the scientists of Teyvat, right?"
"A-Alchemists, actually." Sucrose corrected. "We pursue this course to learn more about the world around us."
"Well, you're going to love what the world has in store for you." She absentmindedly commented. "So...where's the crash site?"
Albedo pointed over to the direction. "Just over this small hill." Amber nodded, getting her DMR ready as she peered over as she walked towards the crash site. The Pilot clutched the scarf she had
The crater had inadvertently collapsed a portion of the mountain, creating a cave. Multiple rock outcrops showed that there was debris in the impact that scattered across the area. Amber looked with wide eyes to see bits of IMC equipment scattered across the research camp. Or it would be a research camp if it wasn't in ruin. There were squashed tents that either could've been the temporary laboratory of the alchemists or residential tents. Wooden crates that contained equipment, supplies and items were sprawled across the ground. The Pilot would find a bunch of IMC weapons in a few of them.
"What the hell have you been doing here..." She muttered, continuing to walk through the wreckage with the alchemists following behind. They looked dismayed at the destruction of equipment. Amber took out an R-201 assault rifle from the crate and inspected. "This is what you've been experimenting on?"
Albedo and Sucrose watched with slight amazement as the former Outrider expertly checked the weapon, pulling back some kind of lever and pressing a button on the side to detach a part of the weapon. After reattaching the box to the weapon, she pulled the lever on the side, making a satisfying chunk. "Huh, doesn't appear to be broken. You didn't accidentally shoot anyone with this, have you?"
Sucrose glanced at Albedo, who gave a sigh. "There was an incident involving someone with one of the catalysts going off. I am guilty of discharging the catalyst, but in an upward direction."
The Pilot gave a heavy sigh. "Jesus Christ, this is why you don't simply press shit without warning. First rule of firearm safety is to treat every firearm as loaded. But since you don't know that yet, here." She showed her hand holding the assault rifle with her index finger away from the trigger. "Always keep your damn finger off the trigger if you're not firing. And it's best to aim away from other people. I don't really trust the sky since the bullets can fall down." The two alchemists nodded.
"Firearms...an interesting name...that would explain the strong smell of fire after each discharge." Sucrose took down notes in her clipboard. They continued to walk through the ruined camp, seeing more crates and ruined tents. Though this type of damage came from the current weather of Dragonspine rather than a Titan attack.
"You seem experienced with these...firearms." Albedo noted. "Perhaps you could help us in our research when you have the time?"
Amber raised an eyebrow at the proposition. "So, you want me to help you with research on IMC technology. And for what purpose? To benefit the Knights so that they have an advantage?"
"I only research what I don't understand because it piques my interest. Should it be beneficial, then yes, I report to Master Jean. But the way you showed me the true nature of these weapons, tells me these are something we should not approach lightly." Albedo answered. "I've made mistakes before, but that doesn't mean I repeat them."
Amber stared at him. While it sounded a bit off, she could sort of understand. He sounds confident in his skill. Maybe he sees alchemy as his hobby or something he liked to do. After all, Amber did like working on Titans back on Harmony. She sighed. "Alright. If it means less negligent discharges, then fine. I don't want anyone suddenly getting a bullet in their thigh." Although she wouldn't notice it, Albedo's lips curled into a small smile.
A soft but audible gasp came from Sucrose, the two turning towards her. "Sucrose, is something the matter?" Albedo asked. There was no response. When they went by her side, they saw why.
Corpses. Far more visceral than the Fatui ones she hid in Starfell Lake. There was blood staining the white snow, with some libs scattered about. There was one body that was mostly intact, except for its missing head and a chunk of its torso, including its right arm. Albedo looked at these with not much of a reaction other than a frown, yet he felt something was so...wrong about this. Sucrose was the opposite.
"I think I'm going to be sick..." The girl went to a nearby bush to hurl. Seeing dissected bodies of animals was already uncomfortable enough, this was too much for her. Albedo was there, patting her back gently to comfort her.
Meanwhile Amber approached the carcasses, using the helmet to scan anything of interest. All she found was the equipment they attempted to carry and a lone cartridge. Approximately 114mm in length. This was alarming, as only one weapon has this size of a caliber.
"A fucking Kraber? Jesus Christ, this Pilot is not messing around." She muttered as she kept the cartridge. It was cold now, from the climate of Dragonspine and the snow, so it was impossible to track with this alone. Looking for more clues, she spotted faded footprints of a soldier and the familiar footprints of a Ronin. They were definitely here, but the tracks were fading fast. The Pilot used her active radar, looking for anyone within the area. To her surprise and frustration, no other signatures could be found other than hers and the two alchemists.
"Damn." She cursed. "Nothing..." She looked over to Albedo who was currently holding a shivering Sucrose, traumatized. Amber couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The young alchemist reminded Amber of herself as she was rescued from that small prison, nearly taken by death from that artillery strike.
"Any progress?" Albedo asked. The Pilot shook her head.
"Can't find any good leads on the guy." She sighed, showing the cartridge. "This is the only evidence I can find about him. I've tried using my other tools but - nope. It's like the damn Pilot has some kind of advanced cloak..."
"Then we'll have to try another day." The alchemist concluded. "The winds here are getting stronger and we'd have trouble traversing back to Mondstadt should we get caught in the storm."
Amber nodded grimly. As much as she hated leaving an enemy Pilot, let alone an Apex Predator, on the loose, she did not have enough information to try and track him down. "Alright then, let's get out of here. We'll see if searching the whole mountain will work." She shouldered her DMR once again, before looking at the crates of IMC weapons. "I think we can bring a few of them home. It'd be a waste to leave all of them out here." She walked back to the camp to collect whatever weapons she could find, leaving the two alchemists alone for now.
"M-Mister A-Albedo..." The Kreideprinz turned to see Sucrose, still clinging to him, look at him with bloodshot eyes. "I'm dizzy..." She muttered. "I-I don't think I can walk..." Albedo thought for a moment before he went in front of her and lowered his body a bit. "Hop on." His assistant didn't protest as she got on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Albedo hoisted her up, giving a grunt as he carried the weak alchemist. Sucrose suddenly nuzzled against his back, which would be his trapezius muscle, breathing softly. "...warm..." She muttered. Albedo can't help but chuckle, her mannerisms reminded him of Klee whenever she feels tired.
"Hey, uh, is Sucrose alright?" Amber asked, now carrying a crate of numerous firearms packed with extra ammunition. The alchemist glanced behind him before nodding. "She needs rest. I will bring her back to her home for the meantime."
"Alright then. I'll follow behind." Amber said, bringing the crate along with them. As they walked away from the mountain, the Pilot thought of something before she suddenly turned to Albedo. "Hey, since you're an expert in the alchemy schtick, do you mind if you help me with something?"
He raised an eyebrow at the question. "What is it that you need help with?"
"I need your help in creating this material. It's not native to Teyvat, but I was hoping you'd know where these materials can be made." Amber elaborated. She lifted the crate she was carrying. "These things aren't simple magic, you know. They use a kind of powder to propel the projectile they carry forward."
Albedo straightened his hold on Sucrose as his face morphed into one of amazement. "I see. In a way, it's an advanced form of the bow, only instead of using the string, there is a special powder?" He asked, forming his question with what he deduced from Amber's description.
"Pretty much." She nodded in response. "I'll show you more when we get back. I'm going to need a steady supply of it if I'm going to be here for a while."
Amber sighed, looking back at the mountain being engulfed by the snowstorm. It was definitely not ideal that they left the rogue Pilot out there, but hopefully he'll stay there in Dragonspine until Amber could get to work.
Starglow Cavern, Dragonspine, Mondstadt
The cavern used to hold an ice crystal that contained the Skyfrost Nail at the summit of the mountain. After the Traveler cleared it out, it mostly contains the frozen pond and some camps of hilichurls. Currently, it was occupied by a certain violent individual...
The hilichurl cried out in terror as it watched its fellow tribe mates get slaughtered by a man with a demonic helmet. Limbs were chopped, heads removed from their necks and the black ichor scattered everywhere. Behind the man is a terrifying giant, glaring its red light at the lone survivor. The hilichurl begged in its native tongue to be spared from the massacre, but those words fell in vain as he was lifted up by the neck. The hilichurl can only squeal as he put pressure, squeezing the life out of the creature. Then he drew his dreaded weapon, a saber with its blade crackling with electricity, and stabbed the hilichurl through its torso. He dropped the carcass soon after, falling down to the ground with a thud. Another camp has been cleared out.
The man gave a frustrated sigh as he turned away from the remnants of the hilichurls he slaughtered and back to his Titan. The crash had badly damaged its chassis, but thankfully some maneuvering and phase dashing had dampened the impact of the fall. It still had its essentials still running, as well as the radar jammer that worked against active radar systems, but it was in dire need of repair.
"Pilot, you are suffering from critical wounds. Seek medical treatment." The Ronin, Harbinger, reminded him. The Pilot looked down; his right hand that was covering the wounded area still coated with red.
"I am aware." He said, before taking off his helmet and placing it down by the damaged Titan, taking off his body armor and the white aviator jacket underneath. His cold ice blue eyes stared at his wound with concentration as he stabbed his abdomen with an ERS, the syringe pumping in the necessary materials to speed up the healing process. He then used the anti-septic spray, grunting in pain. It was always a bitch to use, but he needed it.
The Pilot went over to the Ronin, where the Titan opened its hatch. He got up, finding his medkit in its usual place, and bandaging his torso on his own. Once he was done, he put on his jacket back on, parts of the clothing red from the blood. He didn't mind though; the blood was natural in his field of work. He took a deep breath, slightly relieved. He was safe in here, for now. He went by the fire that those tribals made to warm himself up...no, hilichurls. That's what they're called. Natives of Teyvat.
Teyvat. Fucking Teyvat. He wished the amnesia that made him forget about this place stayed in his mind, as the mere mention of the world's name reminded him of them. The ones who banished him from this world and sent him to that cold hell. Yet, he was here. Back home. He was nowhere near from Liyue, nor was he anywhere close to Snezhnaya, but nevertheless he was back on his home planet.
He moved his fingers through his ginger hair with irritation. Another thing that pissed him off was the fact that he wasn't told that he would be in this mess. All he got from the new contract was to stay in contact with his employer and to "assist in the general's experiments". Bullshit, he was his lapdog at this point.
"So much shit to worry about..." He sighed, standing back up. Just as a certain device rang, a black disk with the ARES logo on it. The Pilot frowned, the scar running from his right eye to his cheek curling with his lips as he pressed a button.
It revealed to be some kind of communicator, with a hologram displaying whoever he is calling. And much to his chagrin, it was his employer - General Macchus of the Armed Branch of the ARES Division, also known as the Myrmidon. Personally, he called him Royal Pain in the Ass.
"Good to see you, mercenary." He greeted in his silky, yet cold voice. "I see that the prototype of the Intergalactical Communicator is working well."
The Apex Predator scowled. "What do you want, Macchus?" His question laced with venom.
"Do remember your place, Tsar. I do not appreciate someone talking back to their superior, no?" Macchus shot back with a scowl of his own. "Now, seeing that you are still alive, cite your field report."
The Apex Predator sighed. "Upon my arrival to Teyvat, I crashed into a mountain. Unsure which nation this mountain belongs to, the Titan was covered in snow. I woke up to see myself surrounded by the native people meddling with my Titan outside."
The general chuckled. "And I trust that you've showed those peasants not to meddle with such technology?" The Pilot nodded, which made Macchus smile. "Wonderful. Anything else?"
"None."
"Good, good." He pondered for a moment before asking another question. "Do you have your beacon activated?"
"Affirmative, General. It is on at all times, like you said." Tsar answered.
"Wonderful. Do keep that on, we will use that to track and pick you up once we have finished our next prototype – another superweapon." Macchus elaborated, prompting the Pilot to roll his eyes. It wasn't the first time he was forcefully stranded on some bare-bones planet and survive, but at the very least Teyvat was familiar ground. "You are familiar with the world, yes?"
"I am, sir."
"Good. You will be reporting data about Teyvat, about its geography, its resources and most importantly, its military prowess. If you come across any civilization and decide to sabotage and collapse it, you may do so. All I want is data, so that we know what planet we're invading and how much resources we can use."
The Pilot blinked. While this was an unexpected turn of events, at least he wasn't a fucking lab rat again. "Yes, sir." He answered.
"Wonderful. I trust you'll do splendidly." The general gives a small smirk. "Oh, and Tsar, I will not tolerate failure. You know what will happen to-"
"Don't you DARE mention Lily." Tartaglia growled, interrupting him. Macchus did not mind the interruption, but instead gave an eerie smile. "I will be seeing you soon, mercenary." The connection is terminated then and there, leaving the Pilot to his thoughts.
"Fucking Macchus.." He threatened to crush the Intergalactical Communicator in his hands but decided against it. He had no way to communicate anyone outside of Teyvat without it. So instead, he tossed it back inside his Titan. He looked at the Titan's optics and sighed. "Well, we got our orders."
"Affirmative. You lead the way, Pilot." The Ronin answered with its designated voice lines. Unlike the Vanguard class Titans of the Militia, this custom Ronin only has the basic level OS system. While definitely more advanced than a Siri, it was not intelligent enough to act on its own terms. Tsar simply disabling the Titan, the red glow in its optics slowly fading away. For now, he was on his own.
Tsar laid out the weapons he had on the ground before him: the Kraber AP rifle, an Alternator submachine gun, his custom B3 Wingman and his Electric Sabre, resembling an old Earth Cossack shashka from Russia. All guns have three magazines each, with the inclusion of five Firestars and five Gravity Stars There was also another pistol he had, but he didn't consider using it...for now. He took the Kraber, the Wingman and his saber and geared up. He looked at his helmet with a scowl.
It resembled his old Harbinger mask, with an aggressive purple orb as its visor. While he hated the faction that created this, he loved the design and decided to embrace the Harbinger persona. It was as if he was deliberately taking it from them. He put on the helmet, his exhale turning into an animalistic growl thanks to the voice changer to hide his identity.
He walked to the mouth of the entrance to the cavern, noticing that a snowstorm is out. Tsar smiled, just like home. He walked out of the cave and began to trek down the mountain, using the snowstorm as cover, to begin his mission.
The Draugr Wolf is now on the hunt.
A/N: Hi there, so you probably wondered why this hasn't been updated for the last...what 15 days now? 2 weeks? I mentioned at the start of the fic where I won't be making quick updates, which still holds up since this is just a side project for me and I am busy with other things.
That isn't to say that I'm abandoning this fic, hell no. I have many ideas to put out and many war crimes to be written.
To explain my disappearance, I got COVID start of the month, then after some writing and gaming, school work came knocking at my doorstep and said "'Sup b!tch, time to do what you've been procrastinating for the week." and I was stuck transcribing interviews for three days straight. It was only after I finished when I got my hands on my doc file again and finished the chapter. So yeah, nothing much to say about that.
A few things before I dip. Firstly, I've already started on Chapter Six. Secondly, I've done a small overhaul (if you noticed) so that the fic feels more...connected. And some extras. Thirdly, I hope I'm making the relationships here as convincing as possible, please let me know.
And I appreciate you readers spending parts of your time to read this fic. I really do. I also appreciate the ideas presented, some of them are really cool, but I won't do all of them. I'm sorry, not every idea can leave the drawing board.
So yeah, that's Chapter Five. The rogue Pilot should be recognizable by now, and Amber dips her head into alchemy. Maybe in the next chapter we might get to see Tsar in action, or Aether finally figure out who the Red Devil Baroness is, or if Amber finally fixes her Titan.
Constructive criticism is welcome, just don't spam hate around. Thanks!
- LNC3L0T