Chapter 2: The Walls of Freedom
"The two of us cross the wilderness without speaking once to each other. Who are we?"
"Well definitely not us, that's for sure."
"Hmm...aww, Paimon is really bad at riddles, can't we play a different game?"
Alec sent the sprite an amused look, responding, "Nothing wrong with having to use your brain every now and again, Paimon. Can't go thinking with your stomach all the time."
"Hey, Paimon will have you know she's very good at thinking. Usually of ways to get delicious food! Paimon is an expert at that."
"...Yeah, I actually believe you wholeheartedly on that one."
Lumine smiled at the friendly banter, walking with a spring in her step as the nostalgic feeling washed over her. It was more than slightly reminiscent of her old travels, of her and Aether encountering the more colorful members of society and inevitably getting wrapped up in their schemes or adventures.
And the weather was simply lovely, a few clouds drifting across a brilliantly blue sky, the sun shining just bright enough to be warm but not stifling while a pleasant breeze brought with it the scent of earth, flowers and fruit, the occasional tree providing a pleasant bit of shade as they-
"Oh, it's a shadow!"
The petulant scowl Alec sent her way caused Lumine to offer up her smuggest grin possible, the young man growling, "How are you so good at solving all of these things? I'm going to run out at this rate and trust me when I say I know a lot of brain teasers."
"Well you do learn to think on your feet and consider solutions outside the box when you make it a habit of traveling among different worlds...here, let me give you one. I fly without wings, I cry without eyes, what am I?"
"Uuuugggghhhh...Paimon's head is starting to hurt…"
Rather than immediately respond Alec let his gaze drift to the landscape they were traversing, lost in thought-
-and promptly snapped his fingers as he gazed upwards, remarking, "Oh, it's a cloud."
The traveler sent a wry stare her companion's way, dully responding, "You complained about running out of riddles, join the club."
"Fair enough. Hold that thought, if memory serves once we cross this ridge we should be able to see Mondstadt."
"Yeah, Paimon remembers this place as being really famous for couples looking to sightsee...or is that Cape Oath?"
Alec chuckled, turning to Lumine before extending his arm to the traveler's, joking, "Well, my lady? Feel like observing the local traditions?"
Feeling her lips quirk at the jest she replied, "But of course. It's only polite as a stranger to observe the ingrained customs."
Linking her arm with his both smirked at the bit of fun, Lumine privately noting that while the offered limb was thinner than the jacket implied it was very solid, feeling more like a band of metal than it did flesh and blood.
She was familiar with that kind of build and had another piece of the puzzle that was her traveling companion, that he was definitely some kind of active-duty warrior.
"Aww, you two are so cute together, eh heh heh~."
They rolled their eyes at Paimon's commentary before ascending the hill, Alec's lips quirking as they neared the ridge.
"Well, welcome to Mondstadt, Lumine."
Amber orbs widened at the sight that greeted them, one of the more beautiful cities she could remember seeing in recent years spreading out over the horizon like a feast for the eyes. Windmills towering high overhead and gently spinning in the wind, smooth and powerful walls that looked as if they could withstand the strongest of storms, quaint and sprawling architecture that seemed as if it had stood for hundreds of years...and all of it embraced by one of the healthiest and greenest fields she had ever witnessed.
"It's incredible…"
"It is, isn't it? Nice to see not too much has changed since I was last here, a few buildings gone and replaced, maybe...the usual wear and tear a place like this goes through."
They separated their arms, spending a few minutes to simply take in their scenery before Paimon suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, why don't we go to that Statue of the Seven down there? You might be able get one of their blessings and find out more from those who follow them, they'll be more inclined to help you if you come bearing their mark."
Lumine tilted her head, asking, "The Seven?"
"Oh, right, Paimon forgot you wouldn't know about all of that…"
Starting down the cliff face Alec took up the explanation with, "The Seven Archons are the surviving gods that currently hold the most authority out of any remaining faction on Teyvat, often being the patron deities or decision makers for whatever people they interact with or rule over."
Lumine raised an eyebrow, asking, "Surviving?"
"Yes, there've been on and off wars for thousands of years now between the gods, one that took place maybe a hundred years ago and a fairly devastating affair about 500 years prior. Paimon's heard all sorts of scary stories about that time!"
Alec gave the traveler a neutral look, stating, "That might have been the one you witnessed, if it was bad enough to make you and your brother decide to leave."
Lumine grimaced, willing to admit that just might be the case...and blinked, clarifying, "Wait, 500 years?"
"Yup! Paimon heard it got so bad that even gods like Rex Lapis were about ready to start marching across the world again!"
Mind reeling that she might have very well been tossed an unimaginable amount of time into the future Lumine tried to keep her hopes up, to not consider the awful implication that her brother might have been in this world for a much longer time than her...or that he wouldn't show up for much longer still. Sure, they weren't exactly going to die of old age anytime soon but decades - perhaps even centuries - was no small amount of turns on the clock.
Releasing a quiet breath Lumine tried to get her mind away from such a disquieting subject, instead asking, "So what does that have to do with me obtaining a blessing?"
Paimon enthusiastically flew down in front of her, stating, "The Seven can impart people they find worthy of their time and attention with a fraction of their power. The god of Anemo in this land, Barbatos, might look especially favorably on you. After all, you're a traveler in the truest sense of the word and Mondstadt is quite friendly to them."
Feeling a bit of cautious curiosity to such an arrangement - considering that her powers were stripped from her she needed all the advantages she could get - Lumine decided to simply nod and go with the flow for the moment, well aware that overthinking things when so few solid facts were known was a waste of time and effort.
Instead she posed, "Well, no sense in sitting up here, then. C'mon, let's go see if this Barbatos thinks I'm worthy."
"He's of incredibly poor taste if he thinks otherwise, but that's just my two mora."
Shaking her head at Alec's words they traversed the rest of the way to the statue, a hooded figure elegantly carved from the tough stone and sightlessly staring down on them as Paimon explained, "Go ahead, place your hand on the statue and try to focus on something different than what you can feel around you, something bigger. That's how people always explained the process of earning a god's favor to Paimon."
Doing as instructed - Alec watching from the sidelines - Lumine approached the statue, silently gazing up at the hooded figure, quietly thinking to herself, "I've already had less than pleasant experiences with one god...I hope you don't continue the trend."
Laying a palm on what looked be a sigil of some kind the traveler closed her eyes, tried to pay attention to what this otherworldly sensation was supposed to be like...and blinked as she found it fairly quickly.
In fact it felt quite a bit like how her old power had used to, just...a little bit different. If her previous strength had felt like the sun overhead, life-giving warmth at her back that she could manifest and wield at a moment's notice then this one was a prairie's breeze, soft and inviting and spreading the seeds of life, cooling what the sun might have overheated and caressing her skin with a relaxing chill.
"Well, if this is indicative of how the rest of the gods in this place will react to me...maybe there's a chance after all."
Letting the borrowed energy spiral outwards Lumine saw verdant streamers of light whirl around her body, whipping her clothes into a frenzy as Paimon yelped in surprise, loose blades of grass and leaves being sucked into a vortex as a content smile left the young woman, sighing in pleasure as, while it wasn't even close to her former level of strength...at least it was something. And besides, Paimon and Alec had said that there were seven gods, right? That meant six more gods and elements she could potentially wield. Certainly nothing to scoff at.
"Wow...it looks like the Anemo god heard and then answered your prayers! Paimon hasn't seen anyone obtain a blessing that quickly before."
Lumine snapped out of her trance to give Paimon a curious look, inquiring, "Anemo god? I thought this belonged to Barbatos?"
"Oh, Paimon forgot. Most of the gods in Teyvat have lots of titles and names, Paimon can make a list for you!"
"I might need one if that's the case."
Her dry comment aside the blonde turned to get Alec's take on things...and paused, the expression on his face one of such a complicated emotion that she couldn't even begin to describe it, mouth hanging slightly open and eye wide, tone distant as he murmured, "How did...that shouldn't-"
He seemed to snap himself out of whatever trance he'd fallen into, midnight orbs instead latching onto the catalysts embedded within her dress as thunderstruck was replaced with contemplative, Lumine noting than rather than the white-gold illumination her clothing had displayed when helping to channel her strength it was now a calming light green, the same shade as the wind that she had released a moment ago.
"Ah. So that explains it."
"Explains what?"
Honestly a little unnerved by her companion's strange behavior he seemed to clue in to her mounting distress, quickly shaking his head before offering a conciliatory smile.
"Nothing, it's just that Paimon was right, most people don't obtain the favor of a god so easily. Although we have to take into consideration that you're from a different world, after all."
He took a few steps forward, coming to a stop before the statue while informing her, "The gods decide to gift their power only unto an individual who has shown traits or accomplished feats they intuitively deem as acceptable or worthy of the gifted strength...even a god's attention is finite, not each and every person is personally vetted."
"Paimon's never heard that part before!"
Alec shrugged, gazing at the hooded figure with something that seemed to resemble amusement.
"Let's just say I've heard that from a reliable source and call it a day."
"Hmm...Paimon thinks that's very suspicious…"
Lumine nodded, adding, "Extremely suspicious."
"Super suspicious."
"Unbelievably-"
Raising his hands in defeat Alec replied, "Okay, okay. I admit it, that is pretty dubious. But the fact remains, young lady, that you received Barbatos' favor almost certainly because you're from a different world. How many cultures have you met with? How many adventures have you gone on? How many monsters have you slain?"
"Well far more of the latter than is probably healthy."
Snorting at her editorial he nonetheless spread his arms wide, stating, "Well, there you have it. You've got the credentials to earn a god's favor written into your life's tale right from the start."
"...You know, when you say it like that, I kind of like it."
Alec smirked, replying, "You should, it was a compliment."
"Well, since we've got that settled why don't we head straight towards Mondstadt? Paimon is certain they have all sorts of delicious foods to try, eh heh heh…"
"Easy does it, glutton. I've only got 20,000 mora on me and we don't have any real means of earning any extra at the moment, short of a lucky recommendation to a mercenary group or adventurer's association."
The sprite pouted, complaining, "Paimon hates it when people make sense, especially when that sense means no soft beds or hot meals."
"Oh? Do you not like our outdoor cooking, Paimon? We can stop making some for you if you don't like it."
"W-what? No, Paimon isn't saying that, she'll starve to death if the two of you stop making things!"
Both the traveler and Alec shared a smirk between them, Paimon spotting that and indignantly shouting, "Hey, you two were just teasing Paimon, weren't you?!"
Stretching her arms high overhead with a moan of satisfaction Alec suddenly asked, "Would you care to spar, Lumine?"
"Hmm? Where did that come from?"
The male shrugged, explaining, "Call it a whim...but if you've been traveling across the stars and gallivanting through foreign worlds - not to mention now wielding the power of the Anemo god - I find myself fairly curious as to your actual level of skill."
A bit of a teasing smirk tilted his lips.
"Unless you really were helpless before those hilichurls, of course."
Instantly feeling a competitive fire burn to life Lumine met his smirk with one of her own, crossing her arms and cocking her hip while easily replying, "Care to make a wager out of that? I mean, surely a helpless little girl like myself would never stand a chance against someone like you, right?"
"Oh I think there's more to you than that, Lumine."
Both individuals marched off to a relatively flat bit of land, Paimon sighing as she followed close behind, grumbling, "Paimon wanted to go to Mondstadt sooner rather than later…" but nonetheless curious as to how the impromptu altercation would play out.
Arriving at their designated sparring arena Lumine called out, "So, rules?"
"Nothing fancy. Blow against the head or groin are a no go, a disarmament is a loss or pinning the other so that they can't retaliate. Sounds good?"
"No complaints here. You wouldn't happen to have any training weapons, would you?"
"Mind passing me your sword?"
Shrugging to herself Lumine manifested her blade, tossing the hand-and-a-half sword to Alec who easily caught it, holding the weapon parallel to his body and resting his fingers right above the hilt, eyes closed in concentration.
Curious as to what his intention was Lumine and Paimon gathered close, a yellow-orange light coalescing near the male's fingertips before, with a sharp motion of his limb, the light was pulled over the length of the sword and settled comfortably atop the metal as Alec nodded to himself in satisfaction.
"Here, should be fine for sparring."
The blonde almost darted forward in concern as with a swift slash the young man brought the weapon down on his outstretched arm-
-and with a dull thud bounced off, the light holding firm as Lumine blinked, Paimon asking, "Hey, isn't that something the chosen of the Geo Archon do?"
"Sure is. I did a bit of work for some followers of Rex Lapis a while back, they showed me this trick as part of the payment. I may not have ever been granted a Vision but I've been able to pick up some little bits and pieces of knowledge here and there."
Lumine sighed, accepting her sword back and testing its weight, pleased that it felt practically the same.
"So I'm going to assume Rex Lapis and the Geo Archon are the same individual?"
Alec's lips quirked.
"You're catching on quick. And to answer your next question Visions are physical manifestations of a god's favor, glowing stones or jewels that symbolize the contract between mortal and divine. Some people proudly display them, others hide them, some fake having them and you won't ever know for sure until they decide to bust out some absurdly powerful elemental butt-whooping."
He gave a pointed glance to her dress, remarking, "I would describe your clothing as having built-in Visions...you really are quite the strange one, Lumine."
"Strange for this world, maybe. On my own world and a few we passed through my brother and I were actually quite normal."
Alec opened his mouth, curiosity clear to see...and snapped it shut, shaking his head before amusedly stating, "Sorry, I've been asking a lot of you while not giving much of my own past in return. Probably not the best of impressions, isn't it?"
Feeling a return of her teasing nature Lumine placed her hands on her hips, remarking, "How about a wager, then? Whoever wins more of our spars gets to ask a question that the other has to answer?"
"Oh? That confident in your ability, are you?"
A challenging grin.
"Just a little bit."
"Alright, young lady...you're on."
Unsheathing his own shortsword and applying the same protection to it he had to the traveler's blade both squared off, Lumine stating, "Paimon, care to referee?"
"Eh?! But paimon doesn't know anything about fighting! Paimon's a food lover, not a fighter!"
"That's fine, it just means one of us will have to rather convincingly win, now won't it?"
Alec's statement caused the sprite to sigh, floating high overhead before grumbling, "Okay, okay...but Paimon wants an extra helping at the first restaurant we stop at!"
A wicked grin adorned the miniature girl's face.
"And loser has to pay~!"
Both nodded in agreement, Lumine teasing, "Can't even say I'm worried, even though I don't have any money...after all, I'm going to win."
"Hmm, a bold statement. Oh well, you seem the resourceful type, I'm sure you'll find someway to make money upon your defeat."
A smirk appeared on his face.
"Perhaps as a table waitress? Serving but never eating the no doubt delicious meals you'll be delivering all...day…long."
Lumine and Paimon stared at the grinning male, silent as death.
"Lumine? Paimon suggests you kill him and bury the body, it'll be our little secret. Begin! Or something!"
The traveler wasted no time, immediately making use of her newfound abilities to empower her forward charge with a little bit of assistance as well as parting the atmosphere in front of her, ensuring what would have already been impressive agility turned blindingly fast.
She had no trouble admitting that the brief eye widening from Alec was simply delicious to see.
A desperate raising of his own weapon barely managed to redirect Lumine's blade from impacting his sword arm where the breastplate didn't cover, the traveler digging her feet into the soft ground to halt her momentum and whirl around to face her opponent, swiftly bending herself backwards to avoid a simple heel kick from Alec that would have otherwise impacted her forehead in an impressive display of flexibility.
Continuing the motion she swung her upper body on an arc that brought the tip of her blade against the stomach of her opponent where his armor didn't cover, blunted edge causing the male to grunt instead of experiencing sharp steel scraping against his spine, Paimon happily calling, "First point to Lumine! Ha, take that, meanie!"
Giving the smirking blonde an appraising look that quickly turned to excitement Alec dropped his legs slightly, raising the shortsword slightly overhead as he mused, "Now this should prove to be quite interesting...ready for round two?"
"Whenever you are."
Paimon's job as 'referee' largely forgotten Alec moved, Lumine prepping herself to retaliate against whatever it was he did-
-and almost lost right then and there as the young man performed some kind of strange motion that was a bizarre amalgamation of skip, hop and sprint that left him barely an arm's length away from her in the blink of an eye, sword aiming right for the center of her chest.
She brought her own blade around to hastily parry, both weapons now out of position...and Lumine quickly realized a rather glaring problem. Since Alec's sword was shorter and could be more easily handled with a single arm than hers could he would always be able to recover faster than she would. Ordinarily that wouldn't be an insurmountable problem, she would just have to deflect an attack in such a way that her blade had a shorter path to his body than his to hers...but not only was he fast he was also using some kind of style she couldn't yet identify, a graceful series of wrist twirls, looping slashes and swift stabs that always ensured she was backpedaling and desperately blocking instead of going on the offensive with her longer blade.
It was a good thing she had a recently acquired trick up her sleeve. Mid swing she directed a blast of wind towards the man, briefly staggering him and allowing her a moment to breathe, centering herself and meeting his next charge with a grin. He'd slowed his pace slightly, keeping his feet planted and form loose so that any sudden gusts wouldn't destabilize him, a paradigm shift that she would take any day of the week.
Eyeing his arm as it went for another windup swing she readied herself to parry and then take the fight to him-
-and blinked as there was a light impact on the side of her neck, his blunted sword pressed up against her flesh as the traveler stared in shock.
"...Aww, Lumine loses."
Alec removed his sword, Lumine lightly tracing the tingling flesh with a finger.
"That was quite crafty."
"Oh, what was?"
"You. Adjusting your speed. The first exchange was just a bit slower than you could actually move, once I hit you with the wind you went even slower and fooled me into thinking I'd seen your best...then you went all in and caught me off guard."
Raising an eyebrow the young man responded, "Huh, you figured that out pretty fast."
"Sure did."
A confident grin appeared on the traveler's lips, both hands firmly grasping the hilt of her favored weapon.
"And it's not going to work a second time."
"You sure about that?"
"W-wait, Paimon hasn't called out-"
The duo rushed at each other without pause, dulled blades colliding with an impact that numbed their arms as their hilts locked against each other, Alec bearing down on the much smaller girl as he made use of his greater height and weight-
-and stared in amazement as the blonde matched him pound for pound, lithe arms straining as she grinned at him, noticing his surprise.
"A lot of power in such a small body."
"Why thank you."
Their blades went skittering off to the side, both combatants regaining their footing for a moment before rushing right back into the melee, excited smiles upon their faces.
Their clash went back and forth, neither able to string together more than a single win as they tested the extent of their limits against the other, Lumine losing herself in the whirl of physical exertion and gathering sweat, worries and anxieties set aside in the rush of adrenaline as their mutual dance continued for what felt like either seconds or hours, she couldn't tell.
One particular bout dragged on for several exchanges, both duelists unable to trounce the other as they once more entered into a stalemate, swords scraping against the other as they used the opportunity to catch their breath-
-and the blonde yelped as Alec suddenly leaned his head forward, lightly blowing a gust of wind into her ear, the playful action so unexpected that she lost her footing and concentration, a final twirl of his wrist and push of his body leaving her disarmed and flat on her back, the male crouching over her with the tip of his sword poised above her throat, both individuals breathing heavily.
"My win."
"Aww, c'mon, you two! Paimon wants to get to Mondstadt before it gets dark and you still haven't decided who the winner is!"
Letting her head rest against the soft grasses of the landscape as a cool breeze caressed her face Lumine took a deep breath, asking, "You want to call this a draw? I don't think we're going to settle anything at this rate."
Looking less winded than her but still fairly tired Alec nodded, offering the blonde a genuine smile as he complimented, "You have incredible skills and instincts. Not a whole lot of people come to mind that have given me such a good spar in terms of simple martial ability."
"Well, I've had a lot of time to practice.'
Chuckling at her reply Alec made to remove his sword and offer her a hand up-
THWIP!
-and both blinked as an arrow suddenly went flashing between them, a lock of Alec's hair drifting to the ground below.
"HALT! In the name of the Knights of Favonius I order you to let the lady go, brigand!"
Three sets of eyes turned to stare at the sight of a young woman adorned in vestments of white, red and brown standing atop of a small hill, bow aimed directly at the male with a projectile knocked and ready to fire.
Lumine felt her mouth curve in a guileless smirk, amped up state no doubt leading to her next words.
"Oh, brave knight, you have come just in the nick of time to aid me!"
Her overdramatic cry caused Paimon to sputter with laughter while Alec just favored her with an exasperated look, the traveler feeling very much like she was the one who had won their competition in the end.
"Did neither of you consider the fact that having a battle in the middle of a field could lead to mistaken assumptions? That was incredibly reckless!"
"Paimon thinks shooting an arrow at an innocent man was definitely the more reckless of the decisions made here though…"
"How was it reckless?! He was kneeling over her with a sword to her throat!"
Still smiling at the pretty amusing misunderstanding that had occurred from her playacting Lumine gave the exasperated Alec a glance, finding the man wryly inquiring, "Have things really devolved that badly around Mondstadt that stuff like that warrants an immediate threat of violence?"
The girl who'd introduced herself as Amber winced, carefully replying, "Well...us Knights of Favonius have been busy and performing our duties as usual but with a sudden upsurge in hilichurls and other factors the fields aren't as secure as they once were."
Paimon commented, "But you found time to threaten the wrong people?"
"You would have done the same if you'd been in my position!"
Raising his hands in a peaceable gesture the young man soothed, "It's fine, it's fine. If things really are that bad then you did exactly as you should have."
He gave Lumine a pointed look that she innocently returned.
"Especially since a certain someone decided to rile everyone up."
"Not sure who you're talking about."
Huffing out a breath Amber adopted a more friendly and open expression, announcing, "In that case, strangers, I welcome you to Mondstadt! I would guide you to the city gates during most circumstances but unfortunately I have a pressing mission that must be accomplished no matter what."
Lumine perked, curiously asking, "What kind of mission? We're actually in need of information and money, we'd be happy to help in return for either."
"Paimon votes for the second!"
The traveler wrapped a hand around the sprite's mouth, muffling her as she protested the action, Amber cocking her head before musing, "If it weren't for the request for information I'd peg you as the strangest band of mercenaries or adventurers I've ever encountered...no matter, if you're willing to help then I'd be more than happy to return the favor in kind! Any experience fighting hilichurls?"
Lumine pointed towards Alec, remarking, "He does. And I'm just as good as he is."
"That last bit is debatable...but Lumine's right, we can look after ourselves just fine."
"Then in that case welcome aboard, strangers! We can-"
Amber blinked as Alec's finger suddenly placed itself over her lips, halting her words as his head turned to look over his shoulder, staring off into the sky with narrowed eyes.
"...Hey, isn't that Dvalin-"
"GET DOWN!"
Before either Lumine or Alec could reply to the knight's sudden shout she tackled the both of them into the shade of a nearby tree, Paimon wheezing as she was crushed beneath the traveler's comparatively larger frame.
The blonde was about to ask what the rush was-
THUD!
-and immediately stilled her body, knowing the sound of powerful wings no matter what world it was, the noise picking up in intensity and heaviness until with a rush of wind an enormous dragon flew overhead, seemingly close enough to touch as she felt more than heard Paimon scream in fright.
Thankfully it didn't circle around but kept flying onwards, towards whatever destination it had decided on as Amber got off of them, taking a deep breath before quietly muttering, "Well, that's one of the issues Mondstadt is currently facing. The dragon Stormterror has been kicking up gales and other problems all over the place, it's been proving to be a rather significant problem."
"P-P-Paimon thought she was about to be lunch!"
Lumine stared after the retreating form of the massive winged beast, eventually coming to a rest in a small clearing some distance away as Amber remarked, "Thankfully our target is in the opposite direction, come on, we'll-"
"You three go on without me, we'll meet up in Mondstadt later today."
They whirled around in shock, Alec staring after the dragon with an unreadable expression as Amber stammered, "W-wait, you're not thinking of going after Stormterror, are you?!"
"Relax, I'm not planning on fighting him. Hell, I doubt I even could if that happened to be my plan."
He started to stride past them-
-and Lumine surprised even herself with the strength of her grip around his forearm, the blonde quickly removing it as he gave her a questioning look.
"Sorry, it's just...you are going to show up in Mondstadt, right?"
She hated how uncertain that statement sounded...but he and Paimon were her only real constants in this world right now and she was honestly unsettled by the idea of being without either of them.
Something he seemed to pick up on as he returned her gesture, grinning reassuringly as he said, "Promise. If I don't catch up with you two beforehand I'll wait by the front gates an hour after sundown each day, deal?"
"...Deal."
He released her limb, offering a more smug tilt of his lips as he said, "I'm a fair hand at drawing, maybe I can make some likeliness posters of your brother."
Lumine raised an eyebrow, happy to be back on solid ground.
"You're saying my drawing isn't good?"
"I'm saying I haven't seen anything to say otherwise."
She returned his smirk.
"Guess I'll have to prove you wrong then. Tonight, preferably."
"It's a date."
She rolled her eyes, both of them chuckling as Alec turned to Paimon, saying, "I know I'm asking a lot of you, but maybe save me a bite to eat later, okay? And keep an eye on Lumine."
"Paimon makes no promises about the first request but can stay true to the second!"
Shaking her head as the sprite offered a jaunty salute Alec gave one last nod before jogging off after the dragon, the traveler turning to a confused looking Amber.
"Are you two friends, family or lovers?"
The traveler thought about before shrugging.
"I think 'travel buddies' is a good descriptor. Now, about that hilichurl camp?"
So I forgot to mention this in the first chapter but I'll only be loosely following the narrative of the first few acts.
Partly because copy pasting dialogue directly from the game would be tedious and partly because if I did that you could really just go play it yourself and get the same experience, if not better because graphics and VA's.
Next chapter will showcase this a bit more severely than this one.
On an entirely different note did anyone else have to spend a fair amount of time in the game's glossary, going over all the different titles various places had just to remind themselves of what meant what? Morax's half-dozen monikers was great for world-building, rough for ease of comprehension lol.
