Lumine had arrived early to the servant's quarters, just as Noelle was finishing the last polish on her bedframe. Out of habit, Noelle curtseyed. To her surprise, Lumine curtseyed back.
"Bet you didn't think I knew how to do that," she teased. Noelle smiled as she folded her dust rag, tucking it away with her other supplies.
"You are full of surprises," Noelle conceded, considering how she had heard Lumine speak to the Grand Master on more than once occasion. "Shall we be off, then?"
"Gladly."
Their walk to the waypoint was short and quiet, but Noelle's head was buzzing as they reached the warp point. The low hum of the waypoint tingled in her brain as Lumine took her hand.
Whoosh!
In a flash of brilliant light, the two women stepped out onto the road just outside of Mondstadt.
"Oh. We haven't gone far at all!" Noelle said, taking in her surroundings. In the distance, she could see the flag of Mondstadt waving just over the castle walls.
"It beats walking!" Lumine started off, leaving Noelle to follow behind. She did her best to hide her disappointment, her hand fluttering up to cover her mouth as they walked.
"Truthfully, I had hoped we would be going a bit farther than just down the road…"
"Ah, well, this isn't our only stop."
Noelle brightened, scurrying forward to keep in step with the traveler. Further down the road, they stopped. Lumine craned her neck upwards.
Several hundred feet in the air, right underneath the overhang, something was glistening in the rock.
"In my three years in Teyvat, I've come across these dozens of times. It's called an oculus—and all of the Seven have them. They're the eyes of the gods." Lumine pointed to the shimmer. "That's an anemoculus. It holds the power of anemo within. Do you see it up there?" she asked. Noelle craned her head up, following Lumine's pointed finger.
"That glittering blue shape?" she asked. Lumine nodded.
"Only Paimon knows I've been collecting them. But I can't reach it, and every time I've attempted I've injured myself. I can't reach it alone."
"Hmm…" Noelle's gloved fingers went to her bottom lip, which pursed just so. Noelle could feel Lumine's eyes burning into her.
In the distance, thunder rumbled.
"Could you jump from the top of the cliff and glide backwards? Or climb down from point?"
Lumine shook her head.
"I can't glide down and reach it at the same time. I don't have enough lift."
"Maybe we should call Amber—"
"No!" Lumine snapped, startling Noelle. "Ah, no. Amber can't know about this. No one can know."
"I see. This is a secret?" Noelle asked, her voice catching, the taste of hope lingering on the last word.
"Yes. I can explain after we snag it, but we should hurry. The skies are going to open up."
"What do you propose we do?"
Lumine heaved with a deep breath. Noelle could sense that she was not going to like her plan.
"We need to approach it from below," she started.
"Hmm. I think that even with the power of Geo, I will not be able to—"
"I'm going to toss you."
Noelle blinked.
"Excuse me?" she squeaked.
"I'm stronger than I look!" Lumine argued. "We'll do it like this: you put your foot on my leg and jump up, and I'll use the wind to throw you up!"
"Don't your wind blades hurt?" Noelle's voice had shifted into her upper register, and her composure was fast disappearing. Something about Lumine made her feel like a perpetually cracking egg—too fragile for her world. "And I-I, I hate heights." Noelle stammered, incredulous. But as Lumine's face fell, she rallied. "Ah. That is no excuse for a knight!" Noelle shook her head. She would not talk herself out of this if it was the last thing she did. But her concern was insidious as the approaching storm's winds ripped at her skirts.
"I'll be gentle," Lumine insisted. "Please, Noelle. You're the only one I trust to help me with this."
Noelle stood for a second, her shoulders squared, fists clenched. Her mind was racing. But after a moment, she nodded sharply.
"Okay. I can do this. Ah…" Her face went hot. "I would ask one thing of you?"
"Anything."
"Please avert your eyes when you're below my skirts."
It was Lumine's turn to flush.
"I would nev-!"
But despite herself, Noelle laughed, and Lumine's shoulders relaxed as she laughed, too.
"Alright. Here we go."
Noelle steadied herself.
I can do this.
Lumine offered her hands, cupped on top of one another, and went to one knee. The maid stepped forward, pushing the fear clawing up her throat down, down, down—
Up!
A soundless scream tried to strangle itself from Noelle's open mouth as she flew towards the cliff's overhanging underside. The air was frigid as she parted it. The glowing blue piece was hovering, shimmering above her. As she got closer, a gentle hum entered her ears, and she reached out as far as she could, reaching for the sound, flailing for purchase—
And Noelle was falling, falling, falling to the ground, her heart in her mouth, the taste of copper flooding her tongue. She pulled herself inward, pushing her legs together in front of her. The wind around her gave one final push…
And Noelle landed, light as a feather, in Lumine's arms, bridal style. Her hair was tussled, braid unpinned from across her bangs. And worst of all, she was shaking from fright. As Lumine slowly lowered the maid-knight's legs to the ground, Noelle's arms came up and clasped her around the shoulders as she steadied herself.
Noelle slowly took her own weight onto her knocking legs, her face mere inches from Lumine's. And there they stood, locked in the moment, as ragged breath clamored in and out of Noelle's lungs.
"Did I do well, Honorary Knight?" Noelle finally whispered, her fingers clutching Lumine's top tightly. The woman was holding her close, her face buried in Noelle's hair.
"Yes, you did better than 'well'," she whispered.
Too quickly, Lumine pulled away.
"You loosed it from its hold on the cliff, at least. It flew over there." She gestured to the east vaguely. "Are you okay?"
Noelle's knees were still knocking, but she nodded anyway. Her heartbeat was beginning to slow, but her breath remained ragged.
"I think I need—"
But the traveler was already trotting off, and Noelle had no choice but to follow.
Over the crest of the hill, the steady hum that Noelle had heard in her flight was amplified. A few yards behind Lumine, she tried her best to keep up. She was dizzy now, her hands cold. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A few raindrops graced her forehead, and before Noelle could call out to Lumine, she ran right into her outstretched arm.
"Wait," Lumine said, dragging Noelle to the ground. Noelle's knees buckled, and she fell with a thump. Her tailbone whined, and she closed her eyes.
"What is it?"
"Treasure hoarders."
"Here?"
And sure enough, in the distance, the hum of the anemoculus was undercut by the gruff voices of men yelling at one another.
"What is it?"
"I don't know, but it's glowin'!"
"Damn," Lumine hissed, tapping her fingers on her knee. She turned to Noelle. "Ready for some battle practice?"
"Yes," Noelle replied automatically, and stood. But as her legs straightened, a blast of stars overtook her. Staggered, she grabbed at Lumine's arm to steady herself.
"If you say so," Lumine said, taking Noelle's hand. Her warmth shot up Noelle's arm, grounding her.
"Wait," Noelle said, pulling the traveler back. The power of her Vision slipped into her chest, and a burst of power from her fingertips placed a shield around them both. Lumine smiled, releasing Noelle's hand.
"Let's do this."
Over the ridge the two flew, Noelle's breathing steadier now than before.
"Return that at once!" Lumine cried as the men came into view. But before another move was made, Noelle was upon the men, brandishing her sword. The man grunted with surprise as metal met leather.
"Noelle-!"
But Noelle was gone in the frenzy, her spinning head filling her with bloodlust as she hacked at the men. Twirling her claymore, she stabbed left, then right, over her head, each perfect move a testament to her tenure in the practice field.
Dodge. Uppercut. Twirl, with a kick to the chest.
"Oof!"
But the man's pain was overtaken by a slap of air as a tornado formed. The air sizzled as the man was picked up. Lumine stood, legs apart, her hand outstretched, as the three treasure hoarders were swept off their feet and thrown over the ridge.
Within moments, the men were fleeing, wailing in pain.
Lumine jogged up to Noelle, panting, her face flushed.
"Excellent!" she said, the anemoculus floating in front of Noelle. The maid's mouth broke into a wild smile as she reached for the shining orb…
And slipped into darkness.
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