Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Also, I'll be doing some consistent updates for a while, every Wednesday. And, I just completed the Archon Quest for Inazuma as of writing this (yes I know, I'm slow), and watching Kazuha wield two visions was amaaaaazing. Did kind of end on a dissatisfying note. Like...what happened to the resistance?

Somewhere in Mondstadt, a pair of thieves looked up at the high walls of the city of Mondstadt. Inside were carpenters, blacksmiths, and more. The two entered the city, ignoring the confused looks from the Knights of Favonius. Looking down and trying really hard to be inconspicuous, the two arrived at a large building, the Cathedral. Looking around, the first chuckled. "There it is, Razor. If we pull this off, I'm about to become a really, wealthy man. The precious artifact there is apparently from Celestia!"

"Riches...from Celestia?" Razor replied hesitantly. "Would we...offend...gods?"

"What's wrong with you?" The other scowled. "We're treasure hoarders, Razor! We steal things! And hoard them!"

"I...not...treasure hoarder."

"Well, you owe me, so you are now." The first, Raptor, scowled. "Now give me the schematics for the Cathedral."

Razor searched the pockets of his baggy clothes, handing Raptor a scraggly map.

"Ok..let's see...Wait, what is this? I asked for schematics, for the Cathedral! This isn't the Cathedral!" Raptor ranted, as Razor just shrugged. "How are we supposed to steal the stone, when we don't know how to get to the secret passage?!"

Razor shrugged again, looking quite uncomfortable. Life was simpler with the wolves, but the pack always repaid a debt, so here he was.

Raptor sighed. "Screw it, we're just going to have to improvise along the way. Stick behind me, let's go."

Razor and Raptor entered the cathedral casually, trying not to attract attention. Thankfully, no one pointed them out as they approached deeper into the Church. Entering the next room, thankfully empty, they spotted two guards standing in the front. Why were there just two guards there? It's not like they were protecting...something.

"Razor!" Raptor hissed. "I think that's the secret entrance. There's no other reason why those guards would be there!"

Slowly, they approached, hiding from the sight of the guards. Then, Raptor leapt forward, a knife in his hand. He stabbed the first, ducked and rolled around the attack of the second, then slashed the other one across his torso. The two guards slumped backward without a sound. Razor followed behind, sniffing and recoiling at the smell. "Watch the entrance, alright Razor?"

Reluctantly, the wolf-boy unsheathed his claymore and stood guard as Raptor entered the secret entrance. After a few minutes of confused pushing and pulling, the panel rotated to reveal steps. Raptor smirked and walked down. In front of him was the artifact, a round purple stone shining. Raptor took a deep breath, approaching cautiously.

Above, Razor watched, then sniffed. "I smell blood."

Raptor slowly picked it up, just for clicking sound to occur. "Danger!" Razor warned.

"It's rigged! Run!"

Immediately, alarm bells started, deafening the whole room. The two treasure hoarders sprinted out of the room, but knights were waiting for them, swords drawn. The general pointed at them. "There they are! Capture them!"

"Razor, up!" Raptor began climbing the ladder to the roof.

Razor knocked one of the Knights of Favonius to the ground, then followed his partner up to the roof. "Don't let them get away!"

Raptor and Razor made it to the roof, the former throwing his knife at the first knight following them. "Jump!"

The two glided down from the top, soaring past the walls and out to the unknown. "Shoot them!"

Arrows flew after them, but Raptor dodged them expertly and landed on the ground with ease. Razor, not so much, getting shot down and landing more painfully. "Keep running!"

Eventually, they made it out safe. Raptor ran to the edge of the hill, whooping. "Yes! We got it! I'm going to be rich–!"

Razor, looking behind him, kept running and bumped into Raptor. It wasn't a hard bump, but Raptor lost his grip on the stone, and it tumbled down the small cliff. "No!"

The artifact hit the ground and vanished in a flash of purple light. "Dang it! Razor, you idiot! Now we have to find it again!"

Razor mumbled something, but Raptor wasn't listening. "We have to go south, toward Liyue. Come on, no time left to lose."


Not too far away from our Treasure Hoarders, two teenagers were dueling at the Knights of Favonius courtyard. Wooden swords clanked against each other, as two voices called out at each other.

Lumine and Ajax were sparring again. Lumine was the daughter of Jean, the leader of the Knights of Favonius, and in extension, Mondstadt. The two were obviously having fun, exchanging blows and attacks. Lumine struck at Ajax, who managed to block it, but she stomped the ground and the ground rumbled, throwing him off balance.

"Hey! That's cheating!"

Lumine merely laughed, striking again and kicking Ajax to the ground. "Oh! Ajax, are you alright!"

Ajax winced, but chuckled, standing up again. "I'm fine. Nice move."

Lumine smirked, crowing, "I win again, Ajax!"

"Yes, yes. You really do live up to your namesake."

Lumine flushed slightly. "Thanks, Ajax."

Lumine had been named after Viatrix, one of the heroes of the Great War. This was due to the fact she could control all Seven Elements at a whim's thought, a feat only done by the Outlanders of legend. "One more round?"

"Sure. If you're up for one more loss."

"Not this time, Lumi." Ajax smirked, attacking once more.

Behind them, the pound of hooves came from behind them. Zhongli and Venti galloped toward the pair, dismounting when they got close. Venti smirked, gesturing at the two. "Reminds you of when we were young, eh?"

"Indeed. Everything was simple then. Quite nostalgic."

The pair were unknown of their presence, and kept fighting. This round lasted shorter than the last one. Ajax slashed and summoned a Hydro jet at Lumine who easily dodged it. With a burst of Anemo and a low sweep, Ajax was on the floor again. "Woohoo! Lumine, 2! Ajax, 0!"

"You're swordsmanship is improving really quickly, Lumi." Ajax admitted, Lumine pulling him up. "Which reminds me..."

From behind his back, reaching into his inventory space (the magic of gaming), he pulled out a golden curved sword. "This is for you."

Lumine gasped, reaching for the beautiful blade. Gold and white, her trademark colors. The sword was perfectly forged, it's metal shining with the sun reflecting off of it. "Wow, Ajax...how did you...it's amazing! Thank you, Ajax!"

"It's just a small gift. I didn't make it in time for your birthday...sorry about that."

"Wait...you made this?!" Lumine stared at the workmanship in awe.

"Yeah." Ajax rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Ready for another round?"

"Sure." Lumine nodded, but grinned. "But i'm going to destroy you with this now!"

Ajax merely smiled, and beckoned at her. Lumine swung her sword at him, but it was intercepted by a golden lance. "Huh? Zhongli!"

"Our power doesn't come from our weapons, but rather," Zhongli put his spear back, smiling at the two teens. "How we choose to wield what power we have been given."

"Zhongli! And Venti, too! You're back!" Lumine excitedly exclaimed, almost bouncing up and down.

The man only smiled, turning to Ajax. "Is this weapon your handiwork, Ajax?"

"Yes, yes it is." Ajax nodded.

"Impressive. You two have grown since I last saw you. Is Lumine still beating you?"

"No." Ajax denied.

"Yes." Lumine declared at the same time.

Ajax pouted as Zhongli and Venti laughed. "It's not my fault! Lumine can use every element!"

After the laughter died down, Ajax frowned, addressing the two. "Zhongli, it's good to see you, but your arrival is...unexpected."

"It was unexpected events that brought me here." Zhongli nodded, his face turning serious. "We have some very important business with your mother, Lumine. Can you tell her that–"

"Zhongli, is that you!"

Zhongli started in surprise. "Jean! Hello! Er...apologies, for coming uninvited."

"Zhongli." Jean shook her head, shaking his hand kindly. "Monstadt will always welcome you. You have done good things for this nation. Along with Venti, of course–where did Venti go?"

Zhongli turned, and indeed, Venti was gone. "He went to Angel's Share." Lumine supplied.

"Not again." Jean shook her head, exasperated. "You two...don't you have work to do? Did you finish helping Lisa?"

"Er..." Lumine hesitated, as Ajax began whistling inconspicuously.

"Jean, I have news of great importance to tell you." Zhongli urgently said.

Jean frowned at Ajax and Lumine, before turning back to Zhongli. "Then we should head inside. You two, return to your duties."

"Yes, Master Jean." Ajax nodded.


At Springvale, a young adventurer stood in front of the warden, having just been released from prison because of his...'crimes'.

"So...Bennet, is it?"

"That's me!" Bennet cheerfully responded, as if he hadn't been thrown in jail just yesterday.

"Okay...since you remain remorseful of your actions, and since your crimes were both accidental and repaired by the Guild, we've decided to release you early."

"Woohoo!" Bennet joyfully exclaimed. Perhaps his luck really was turning around!

"On one condition." The warden continued. "You've been assigned to the Chasm for mining duty."

"Mining duty?!" Bennet dropped his arms. "Aren't there monsters down there?"

"We haven't had a monster attack in months." The warden chided. "And if you do run into monsters, there will be Milellith there for protection. There's only hilichurls and slimes, anyways."

"But, sir, with my bad luck, is it really a good idea for me to go mining?" Bennet protested. "With me there, you could miss all the ores, or the cave could collapse, or..."

"Listen, pal, i don't believe in luck. That kinda stuff doesn't happen. Take this map, and get working, you'll be fine. Just try not to mess up again." The warden waved him off, evidently done with this conversation.

Bennet sighed, and exited. "Mining in the Chasm, eh? Hopefully it doesn't go too terribly."


"This is a terrible idea." Lumine hissed. "We're gonna get caught!"

"Come on, aren't you the least bit curious?" Ajax teased, creeping closer to the room.

Lumine grumbled, but they stood outside the door, not willing to get any closer. They could just make out the words.

"They were Fatui, at least a dozen of them." Zhongli growled, something Ajax hadn't heard in a long time. Fatui? The long lost enemy of Teyvat from Snezhnaya? They were alive? "I've spoken to the other leaders and they refuse to listen!"

"Why would they?" Jean answered. "You've spoken about the Fatui and there return for years. Without evidence, your claims will fall on deaf ears."

"I know." Zhongli sighed. "Which i why I'm not here to raise an army. If I can't convince you, then I have to prepare for action."

Jean was silent for a few seconds, before whispering in hushed confusion. Ajax strained, but couldn't hear enough, so he slowly put his ear at the door, gesturing for Lumine to do the same. She shook her head violently. You do you, but it's your own funeral. She left after that.

"Exactly, Grand Master. We should–" A creak sounded when Ajax leaned a little too hard on the door. "Someone...is listening."

Ajax's eyes widened. ABORT! ABORT! The door opened slightly violently, and Zhongli looked down at Ajax, amused. "Ajax!" Jean exclaimed. "This was a private conversation! How much did you hear?"

"Nothing! I was just passing through, Master Jean!"

Jean massaged her temples. "I already told you to help Lisa, Ajax. This is not the first time this has happened. What am I to do with you..."

"I have an idea." Zhongli interjected. "I'll take him own my journey, and i'm sure he'll learn some...discipline along the way."

Jean sighed, crossing her arms. She pondered on it for a moment before nodding. "I expect an improvement on attitude when you return Ajax." Jean warned. "And come back safely."

Ajax grinned, saluting to Jean. "Yes sir. Wait, you weren't kidding, were you?"

Zhongli merely rubbed his head and smirked. "Sleep well, Ajax. We ride at dawn."

Ajax nodded, eyes wide, turning back to Jean as if wondering if she would break down and reveal it was all a joke. Eventually, he came to terms with it. I'm leaving Monstadt tomorrow. The city that raised me as a child...will I ever come back? He had heard of Zhongli's journeys, and they sometimes could be dangerous. "I'm really going to travel with you, Zhongli!? How far are we traveling? What should I bring? Do i need a sword–?" He paused, suddenly downcast. "Lumine would have wanted to come too..."

"Perhaps another time." Zhongli suggested, and pointed at a person approaching. "You can say your goodbyes now, however."

Ajax turned, seeing Lumine running toward him. As Zhongli departed, Lumine paused in front of Ajax. "Is it true, Ajax?! You're really leaving? So sudden?"

Ajax winced at her hurt tone. "Yeah, Lumine. Zhongli's taking me on his journeys...I don't know how long i'll be gone."

"You can't leave!" Lumine declared suddenly, then winced, adding, "I mean, you have to come back! You can't...don't–"

She collapsed into his arms, sniffing, as Ajax blinked in surprise. He had never seen Lumine cry...since...since...

"Don't leave me too, Ajax." Lumine sobbed quietly.

You see, Lumine once had a twin brother, Aether, named after Viator, the other hero. They were regarded as the new heroes of this generations, both being able to control all elements at a young age. Ajax didn't remember him well, but he remembered a kind and energetic face, and grin that lit up the world.

But one day, when they were seven, Aether just...disappeared. Jean assigned him to go collect some dandelion seeds just outside of Monstadt, but he never returned. The whole city searched for him, all across Teyvat, but it seemed like he ceased to exist. They never found him. In fact, Jean still blamed herself to this day, but it seemed like she recovered. Lumine however, never fully did. She was traumatized by the sudden loss, and was terrified of losing anyone else.

"Don't worry Lumine...I won't be gone forever." Ajax softly said. "I won't leave you alone."

It was a few moments of quiet embrace, before Lumine pulled herself together and stood. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow dawn." Ajax replied.

Lumine smiled faintly. "You know we both always wanted to go on journeys. So...go on this journey for both of us, Ajax."

Ajax nodded, hoping he wasn't blushing. "Okay."


At the dense foliage of Liyue, a young girl with long lavender hair, tied into twin pigtails, hunted through the forest, stalking quietly to sneak up on her prey, a trio of pigs were calmly wandering in peace. The girl unsheathed her blade, closing her hand on a purple gem to summon its electric power.

Until a screech broke through the silence, and the pigs fled, startled. Sighing, the girl turned and walked toward her lynx, who was still screeching.

Side note, cats can be really loud when they want to. They just don't raise their voices much.

"What's wrong, Viola? You scared away–" The girl stopped, staring down at a shining purple stone radiating energy.

Chapter 2, done. I think you can guess who that girl was. Viola was named after the Seelie that Keqing can have. Bennett doesn't have a vision right now (but he will. Later). Also, can anyone guess what happened to Aether?

Also, I sometimes have trouble seeing Ajax and Childe as the same person, does anyone else have the same problem? Does anyone want me to call him Childe instead? Let me know.