Zaine remembered his life leading up to the point of escape. He could recall every moment of agony that brought him to begging for his life at the hands of those awful Sumeru Alchemists, and though he now stood in mondstadt, the vision on his hip and the scars on his body were almost taunting. He hadn't had some wonderful savior. He had no one to come and whisk him away- no. He'd saved himself, fleeing from his captivity and out of that god forsaken desert that they called Sumeru.

Caramel eyes glanced about as he stepped through the crowd, hidden below a mask that drew stares and fearful whispers to his ears. Zaine was blind and deaf to all of it though, only focusing on finding the place that he had been told about in liyue. Ah, there. He made sure he looked presentable- adjusting his mask tight to his face. The knights of Favonius had been a good start in terms of work, though the idea of drawing the ornate sword on his back would make him panic and tremble… He hoped the training wouldn't be too grueling.

Fingers found the handle of the door, and he stepped inside, looking about. A knight- he assumed- nearby saw him and hurried over, barking loudly. "Halt, what brings you here?" There was… hesitance in the air. Crackling with dislike. The pyro vision holder forced his head to bow, though his two meter stature was a bit much to most people, even when bowing.

"I apologize. My name is Zaine. I'm here from Sumeru, looking for work." He stood up straight. "I wish to have council with your… er…" What was it called…? "Your… Grand… Master?"

"Very well. Master Jean is the acting grand master currently, as Varka is currently away on business. She should not be busy right now." The knights' eyes narrowed at the sword sitting on the newcomers back. Hesitantly, Zaine pulled the holster off. It was a decorative sword, really. It was cracked, incompatible with his fiery vision. He handed it over, though he knew he was happy to give it up.

Zaine had never been good with speaking, let alone in front of multiple people… so when he went in and there were three in there, his body tensed immediately. Two blonde women and a man with bluish black hair. Ah, shit. The mans eyes immediately filled with surprise and he settled a hand on his hip, a smile covering his initial shock.

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111There was a blonde woman sitting at the large center desk, and she stared at the knight for a moment, looking exhausted. The knight spoke quickly, trying to get the gist of the situation before the sitting blonde began snapping. All three had visions- one cryo, one anemo, one electro. He shifted in place and uncomfortably straightened his sash where it draped his shoulders elegantly. The knight finished his explanation and gestured to the Sumeruan.

"Hello… you're here to see me? Whatever for?" The woman sitting asked tiredly. "My name is Jean. I am the acting Grand master of the Knights of Favonius."

Guilt filled the younger mans mind and he swallowed. His voice was soft, smooth, rough from the sands that howled with wind in the deserts of his home. "I am Zaine- Er- Zaine Mariam. I am from Sumeru, but I am looking for work outside of my home land." He cleared his throat, feeling dehydrated. The man who had housed him in Liyue was a nicer older gentleman who had liked to talk. He had introduced Zaine to Lady Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing, a rare opportunity that he grabbed by the horns. He'd offered her his services, had demonstrated his abilities, but she had politely turned him down, and directed him to Mondstadt for the Knights.

Recognition flashed in the Acting Grand Masters eyes. "Oh? You're Zaine… Lady Ningguang has said a lot about you in our correspondence letters." Her eyes warmed. "You must be quite skilled. She said you were on your way, but I did not expect you for another week." Relief. Pure relief filled Zaine and he almost collapsed on the spot. "Ah… uhm… yes. I left early. The man I was staying with, who helped me back to health, encouraged me to leave a bit earlier than I expected."

"Back to health…" Jean murmured, glancing at the mask Zaine wore over his mouth and nose. He had heard that from Ningguang too… that Zaine's face was mangled below the nose. That his right side was exposed flesh that was healed but not well. That he had undergone some awful things as a human experiment in a Sumeru alchemy lab. She looked… almost sympathetic before she cleared her throat and continued. "Alright then. I'll make accommodations for you. Is there anywhere in mondstadt you would like to be stationed? Perhaps on the border of Liyue?" She moved and the other blonde glanced away when Zaine's gaze turned to her.

"This is Lisa, the Librarian for the Knights." Jean introduced at the gaze of the Pyro user. "And Kaeya, the captain of cavalry in mondstadt. Kaeya will probably handle your affairs while the cavalry is down." The Acting Grand Master moved to pick up a few documents. "Ningguang personally made sure that your apartment was paid for- and she insisted that we give you allowance as well. It isn't much, but your travels have spread in rumors through Tevat, and your past warrants a bit of ease." She handed over the documents to a shocked brunette, who's eyes were wide above the mask on his face.

Of course, his travels had been broadcast… no one wanted to keep the tragic story of a pyro vision wielding traveler with scars on his body and a sash on his chest. He took the documents quietly, though he bowed in thanks. There was no way that he was famous- not with the glances and uneasy whispers he'd experienced on his journey to Mondstadt. Never, surely, had his stories been wearily retold from mouth to ear, from teller to listener. There was no way anyone believed the tales anyway…

Before he realized, he was in the city of mondstadt- quite small, actually- being bustled towards the housing area by Kaeya. Kaeya, who was a tall man with a cryo vision and an eyepatch. He was handsome, Zaine observed idly, disliking the cool fingers on the small of his back. It was warm here, but not warmer than Sumeru- Sumeru was never colder than a few degrees below boiling. The hand only solidified the cryo user's dislike towards him, it seemed.

And then… he was alone. He was handed a key- to a small home that looked rather nice all things considered. Had he truly earned this? Suffering didn't earn you this kind of thing… Had he earned this?

That was the question for Zaine, and as he slowly eased into his accommodations, he began reflecting on it. What had he done to deserve this hospitality? To answer that, he really had to dig back…