"Already?! But we're so close - I can feel it in my bones! Where's your adventuring spirit?"
"That's fatigue you're feeling, Zhiqiong." said the Traveler, deadpan, if not for the hint of frustration lacing his words.
"As for that aching, throbbing sensation in your bones?" he continued. "That's not excitement or anticipation, it's your limbs begging and pleading for you to take a break before they give out."
Zhiqiong looked like a puppy who'd been kicked by its owner, her head held low, realizing that nothing she said would change the Traveler's mind. Appealing to Raiden yielded no results either, as the undercover Archon was thrilled to see him showing some sensibility.
"Sit." he commanded, once again reminding Raiden of the dynamic between a master and their pet. It made her think of the Shiba Inu, and she resolved to ask the Traveler if they could keep one in their home. Their antics were amusing, much like the rookie adventurer's, and she'd missed their company during her centuries of seclusion.
Zhiqiong sat down, all the while pouting at the Traveler.
"Ei, be a dear and help me cut the vegetables."
In the time Raiden had been reminiscing, the Traveler had already set up his portable stove. She knew better now than to try her hand at any actual cooking, but a bit of mise-on-place was well within her capabilities. All she had to do was consider the vegetables her enemy, and the knife her blade - the rest would simply fall into place.
"Next, the mushrooms."
As soon as he handed her the mushrooms, Raiden knew something was amiss. Even she could tell the difference between a common matsutake and some strange, colorful, star-shaped and likely psychedelic fungus.
The Traveler winked, and so Raiden said nothing, proceeding to chop up the mushrooms into thin, perfect slices. Half an hour later, a delicious aroma filled the air, replacing the damp, musky waft of the cavern depths with something more enticing.
"Are those… chicken-mushroom skewers?!"
Paimon appeared, summoned by the scent of cooked food, her mouth already watering.
"They sure are, Paimon. Here you go, this one has your name on it. You too, Zhiqiong, and you as well, Ei."
Handing them a skewer each, they all dug in, enjoying the simple yet delicious dish.
"Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea, after all." said Zhiqiong amidst mouthfuls of food. "I haven't had a meal this great since…"
She trailed off, eyelids drooping, her lips struggling to form proper words, and then, suddenly, she fell over backwards, where she remained silent and unmoving.
"Huh? Zhiqiong, wake up! Zhiqiong!"
Paimon was panicking, floating above the unconscious adventurer and waving her skewer dramatically.
"I am assuming you had this all planned out, Aether?" Raiden asked calmly.
"She was going to get herself killed." he replied. "I hate to ask this of you, but could you carry her back to camp? I'll be with you in a moment, there's just something strange about this place… I need to have a quick look around."
Raiden frowned.
She'd also felt something, mysterious and dark, not to mention ancient - older than even herself. Whatever it was, it caused the fine hairs on her neck to stand on end, and the last thing she wanted to do was abandon the Traveler to face whatever lurked in the Chasm on his own.
"I'll be fine, I promise."
"It seems you've learned nothing."
"Dainsleif?"
"Each time that we meet, a god's trail lingers upon you. This time, the stench is almost unbearable."
Aether narrowed his eyes, the eerie, upside-down city looming in the distance all but forgotten. His last encounter with the mysterious man ended abruptly, Dainsleif disappearing alongside his sister and leaving him with even more questions than before.
"Don't speak about her that way."
Dainsleif's expression grew strained, and he seemed to catch on quickly, a mixture of pity, disappointment and even contempt working its way onto his face.
"Involving yourself with their kind will only end in heartbreak and ruin."
"You're wrong."
As they traded words, Paimon hovered nearby, her head darting back and forth between them. With each second her eyes grew wider, and she shifted nervously in the air, waving her hands in a placating manner.
"Am I?" asked Dainsleif, moving towards him, gravel crunching beneath his boots. "What will the Raiden Shogun say, I wonder, when she discovers who your sister is - the Princess of the Abyss, who leads the very same people responsible for the death of the first Electro Archon."
Aether froze, a horrible, bone-chilling coldness enveloping every inch of his body.
"I- I'll figure something out."
Even to his own ears, his reply sounded far from convincing.
Luckily, Paimon had finally found the courage to speak up, and just in the nick of time, as they were about to receive unwelcome company. Several armored knights stalked in their direction, each step accompanied by a harsh, metallic clanging, and Aether drew his blade in response, lightning crackling along the edge.
He would prove Dainsleif wrong, if it was the last thing he ever did.
He returned, and sooner than she'd expected.
Raiden should've been happy, relieved even, but the rules of the mundane didn't apply to the Traveler. Her fears were confirmed when he laid his eyes on her and flinched, and though it vanished as quickly as it came, she'd caught a glimpse of his saddened, fearful gaze.
It didn't help that Paimon looked devastated, and Raiden immediately huddled against him, swearing never to leave her lover unmonitored again, no matter the circumstance.
He waved when the latest posse of adventurers approached, each taking a seat around the campfire.
"How's Zhiqiong?"
"Oh, she's fine. Only a little positively livid."
The adventurers all shared a laugh when Zhiqiong snuck up behind the Traveler, leaning over to whisper menacingly in his ear.
"Fair enough, fair enough!" offered the Traveler, chuckling once he'd shaken off the fright. "I hope you understand why I did what I did, though."
"I tripped out for three hours and woke up with a massive headache."
"But you're still alive." quipped Jinwu.
"Hey, you're supposed to be siding with me!" Zhiqiong exclaimed, a look of betrayal on her face. "Is it really that bad to want to leave a legacy, to be remembered? That's what adventuring is all about!"
A collective smack resonated throughout the cave, as everyone, including Raiden, cupped their faces in their palms.
"The star that burns twice as bright also burns half as long." said the Traveler, and for some reason, with his words settled a strange sort of silence, as though fate itself implored them to listen.
"If you find meaning in being remembered, that's fine, but you ought to think about what you wish to be remembered for."
No one had anything to say to that.