ACT I: PRELUDING LIGHTS
28th of the 9th Cycle
Aether laid on golden sands, staring at clear blue skies high above.
Birds circled high above, incessantly cawing - perhaps thinking he was their next meal. He heard the crashing of waves against the shore - and squinted at the Sun blazing high above.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Cursed gods…" he groaned, "Always so uptight…"
The golden-haired traveller shifted himself onto his stomach and pushed himself to his feet - brushing off sand from his outfit and running a hand through his hair to untangle it, feeling knots come apart under his digits.
He'll have to rebraid it later, as currently he was too annoyed to do just about anything.
Aether willed some of his power to life, searching for the telltale sign of a blazing heat in his breast, but it amounted to nothing. It appeared that the damnable god had sealed away his innate powers - but he would not let it stay that way for long.
Nevertheless, he was still birthed of cosmic rays. He shan't be able to show his face to Mother upon his return if he let some lowly gods lock him away like an errant child.
Looking around, he found himself on a beach - one flanked by large, rising stone cliffs. The cliffs faced the morning Sun, which allowed him to align himself. There were the remnants of a campsite nestled under an outcrop, where upon further inspection he noticed a long extinguished bonfire and faint markings of where tents used to be.
How swell.
Of course, if there were gods then there must be men, it was only natural.
Considering the form the god had taken when they encountered them, such men must be at the very least humanoid - though he would suspect they were simply some variant of human.
Investigating the sandbar some more, he found a distinct lack of his sister. It was unnecessarily irritating to say the least, but it was not as if this were the first time such an occasion occurred. His twin could take care of herself, she was far more capable than he in that regard.
Oh, he had some worries - but none of them were for his sister. He just hoped his sister won't make getting off this damned place harder than it should be.
With the lack of his favoured sword, he was virtually unarmed. It shan't be of worry, though, his alien build meant that incredible strength was his norm - in comparison to other sapient beings inhabiting cosmic worlds.
Among said beings, humans were among the weakest physically, there should be no issue.
Speaking of alien builds…
"Try all you might," Aether called, "You can't hide from me, my kind were your progenitors!"
"Tch," a voice rumbled, "Damned starwalker, your arrogance truly is unmatched."
Aether watched as the veil of reality rippled - and tore itself open, revealing a shimmering patch of void, an infinite blackness speckled with countless stars. From the void, a female humanoid drifted out, donning a featureless white summer dress.
Her eyes were orbs of nebulae, her long flowing hair milky white. Trailing behind her came a mantle of twilight skies.
"Ah…" Aether mock bowed, "Great god, a greater displeasure."
The god's bare feet lightly touched the sand, and her shimmering eyes gazed at him in disdain.
"I ought to say the same," she uttered, before her voice took on a more human tone, "As such, I also ought to remove you from this plane as fast as possible."
"And how will you do that? Believe me, I wish to remove myself as much as you want to remove me - but your good friend-"
"Friend? Her?" the god sneered, "I am Paimon, the day the likes of me lowers to the level of Law is the day the Sky falls!"
Names had power, and Paimon was a powerful name. Aether could feel the world ripple as the ancient appellation was spoken. A mighty god, surely, he beheld - among the greatest he had ever laid witness upon, but not the greatest. He could vaguely ascertain that she and him were distant kin, birthed of the same Mother.
Which meant he had done her a great insult by calling his kind her forefathers.
"And how can I please the great Paimon?"
"A pact," she proposed, "One sworn upon blood and bone."
"Pardon?" he questioned, incredulous, "Denied, not unless it is sworn upon the elders."
Blood and bone, he internally scoffed. What odd jape was she playing at? As if blood and bone were any threat to them, they were immortals - what was a moment of unimaginable agony compared to potential incomparable loss? No, let them swear upon the Gods - if she agrees.
The god's face twisted horrifically, showing a glimpse of her true, disgusting form behind the human facade.
"...I am not daft, starspawn!"
"Neither am I," he shot back, "I know not what mummer's show you are attempting to string, but I will take no part - not without assurances."
"All I wish to propose is a simple deal; I will offer aid when needed, seven times upon the Seven Stars."
"And in return?"
"You shall aid me once, upon use of all seven boons."
Unimaginable loss, indeed. It was the kind of a pact that seemed to heavily favour one side, but no true pact was not equal. Likely, divine judgement would be cast upon him if his boon did not equal the value of all seven of hers.
Except, in all regards, this pact did indeed heavily favour him. Currently, Aether was powerless and trapped in a distant realm. Paimon could smite him on the spot and he would crumble with little resistance, which meant she had use of him as of now.
Blood and bone, hm? A pact was a two-way street, it seemed he had misjudged - a pact of such manner offered a way out if needed.
"Very well," he acquiesced, "I swear to oblige by blood and bone."
"And so do I."
There was little fanfare, but the most serious of issues had little to do with such. All he felt was a ripple of power washing through his innards, and he knew the pact was signed.
The god stared at her pale hand, and smiled unnaturally.
"Follow the wind," she pointed west, "You will not miss the Statue."
With that, he watched as the god folded in on herself - sections of her corporal form bending and twisting in impossible shapes until she collapsed into an infinitely small form and disappeared from his sight completely.
Aether shook his head in exasperation.
His first day and he already made a deal with a demon - truly a new record.
A breeze suddenly brushed over him, causing his hair to fly in front of his face.
Grumbling under his breath, Aether began walking down the beach - following the wind - all the while rebraiding his long golden locks.
2nd of the 10th Cycle
Aether pressed a palm against the golden plate of the Statue.
Curiously, he felt an innate energy humming within the construct - as if taunting him. Closing his eyes, Aether weaved an immaterial thread of light from whatever miniscule power he had left within him - and pushed it into the Statue, wrapping it around the mass of energy.
Clenching his fist, Aether tugged at the invisible string - and the energy flowed in a stream of cerulean light without resistance.
The light eventually coalesced into a blue orb the size of his head, floating above him.
Pulling at string again, Aether captured the orb and pushed it into himself - absorbing it, resonating with it. As the energy flooded his systems, he felt something break inside him. A seal was cracked open, one he didn't know he had.
Briefly, his veins shone with golden light.
Heart in his throat, Aether called upon his powers once more - and incredibly, his favoured star-forged blade manifested in his hand.
The divine blade shone under the sunlight, it's argent hilt and handle glinted in silver glow - the golden blade rippling brilliantly. With a straight hilt, the design was simple, and would be unassuming if it weren't for the manner of its birth.
Aphelion and Perihelion, the twin blades - and his was the former.
Lowering himself into a pose, he launched into a few experimental swings - reassuring himself with Aphelion's familiar weight.
Yet, he still felt a foreign energy within him. Drawing it from himself, a lifted his left hand and opened it to see a small whirlwind growing in his palm.
Just then, he felt someone - or something approaching him from behind, making no attempt to disguise their presence.
Swivelling around, he saw nothing - only to look down and spy three formless blobs of watery gelatin crawling out of the lake. Extending his arm, he pointed his palm in the direction of the slimes and pushed out the foreign energy - and the whirlwind expanded into a violent gale that ripped through the creatures, tearing them to water droplets and spraying their remains across the lake.
Aether clenched his fist, and decided that until his full powers returned to him, this sort of elemental ability would be useful to him.
Turning back around, he closer inspected the Statue's golden plate to see small words inscribed into it.
BARBATOS
ANEMO ARCHON
Backing away, he turned his gaze upwards to see the stone-carved figure of a robed person cupping a glowing azure sphere. A hood covered their head, and a pair of feathery wings extended from their shoulder blades.
Must be this Barbatos, he decided - and Anemo must be the Element that he had just resonated with. He had never heard of 'Archon' as a divine title before, however, so he assumed it was one bestowed unto them by mortals.
It is a manner of nature that gods have authorities - the elements that they rule over, whether they be divine ideals or mortal constructs. For a god to surrender their authority to a foreign being so easily was incredibly rare, so this Barbatos was either apathetic - or they had greater designs with him.
Aether could not decide which was worse.
As he pondered this new conundrum, a great earth-shattering roar broke him from his thoughts. Suddenly, a great shadow was cast over the valley, blanketing the land in brief darkness. Swivelling his head to the Sky, Aether watched a six-winged dragon flew overhead - screeching to make its presence known.
Dragons were the greatest of magical beasts, the pinnacle of magic and evolution. They were intelligent, Aether had no doubt, and considering the size of the creature he just laid witness - they were most assuredly old. Veritably ancient.
And with age comes wisdom, wisdom of the world - which he desperately needed.
Aether took off after the dragon, using Anemo to extend his leap over the lake onto the far bank. He would find his answers, hopefully the dragon would be amiable.
6th of the 10th Cycle
It was truly unfortunate, but he simply was not fast enough to match the speed of the dragon.
Aether had observed the great primordial descend into the emerald forest, but by the time he reached there the dragon was long gone.
Now, he idly strode under the heavy cover of leaves and branches - so thick it blotted out the Sun. A perpetual breeze flowed through the woods, rustling the thicket and whistling through the trees - creating the illusion of a thousand whispers surrounding him. Fireflies buzzed around, their effulgent forms shining in golden glow - and luminescent plants in the shape of lanterns illuminated the forest floor.
Aether wandered into a small clearing, spying fallen trees and shambled brush. The forest floor was turned over, once pristine grass torn from their roots as a great force overturned them and kicked up soil.
Spotting the vague indentation of gargantuan footprints, he knew he was on the right track.
Inspecting the clearing, a glint in the dirt caught his attention. Bending down, Aether picked up a dirt-covered gem. Brushing away the earth, the gem was revealed to be a brilliant crystal - sanguine red in the shape of a teardrop.
He stowed it away, thinking it ought to be of import in the near future.
After ensuring there was nothing of interest he had missed, Aether left the clearing and returned to the track running through the centre of the woods. The path was of dry, beaten earth - used by carriages and carts, he could see the faint parallel indentations of wheels.
He continued for the better part of the day. It was peaceful, the ambience of birds chittering from the treetops, the gurgling of small rivulets running across the forest floor, the foraging of animals. It was enchanting indeed, the forest was teeming with life - so much so it seemed alive.
The woods gradually cleared away as he reached the southern end of it. Squinting his eyes as the Sun glared down at him, he looked to the Sky as he attempted to orientate himself.
Aether spotted several columns of black smoke rising in the east, and decided he ought to follow the signal.
As the Sky was painted in the red-orange hues of the Setting Sun, he neared closer to black plumes marring the halcyon sight. Climbing over a ridge, he stood upon a hill - staring down at a village in ruins.
At least some score of wooden dwelling built around a central court - the settlement was completely ravaged. The wooden houses were burnt husks of their former selves, the streets desolate and lifeless - strewn about with humanoid corpses. Fallen torches and braziers had sparked the fires that caught his attention.
Sliding down the hill, he entered the village to see a group of what seemed to be mounted knights patrolling the settlement.
They were silver armour marred with soot and blood, there was a golden sigil emblazoned on their chest pieces - but Aether couldn't make it out through the ash. Their mighty steeds were lightly armoured, only donning light cloth barding - and Aether spotted blood covering the hooves of the horses.
"Hail!" he called.
A knight pulled the reigns of his steed to face him and trotted over.
"Hail, traveller!" the man pulled off him helm as he approached, "Apologies, you had to come across this - a hilichurl raid."
Hilichurl. That must be the identities of the black-skinned, maned and masked corpses crumpled about the dirt. With their loincloths and bludgeons, they looked positively barbaric.
"Don't worry, however," the knight reassured, "It's safe. It is unfortunate we've arrived too late to save anyone, but rest assured no savage escaped our blades."
"You have my gratitudes for your diligence."
The knight shook their head, before putting their helmet back on, "If we were more vigilant, no lives would've been lost. Where are you headed?"
"I've come from the north, escaping the cold," Aether half lied.
"Oh aye, first autumn snows must've begun in the northern states," the knight thankfully agreed, "I would invite you to rest with us and we'll bring you to Mondstadt on the morrow, but I must inquire the captain first."
"Please, do not trouble yourself with a lone traveller."
The knight offered him a kindly smile, before trotting off, calling for their captain.
Taking his time to look around, Aether spotted several dismounted knights wrapping human corpses in tarps and loading them onto carts - while others were building a large pyre to burn the hilichurl corpses.
"Hail! You must be the traveller!"
Aether looked up to see a woman in red riding canting towards him, before dismounting in a swift, practiced motion before her steed even stopped moving. Her horse was even more unarmoured than her subordinates - only having a saddle upon its back. Hanging from the side of her horse however, was a metal kite shield - on the silver facade emblazoned a stylised golden sigil.
Three pairs of wings entwined together in the shape of shield.
"Amber, I'm the captain of this little squadron," the woman saluted by raising palm over her heart, "You're welcome to share our fire and travel with us to Mondstadt tomorrow."
Amber was on the shorter side, wearing a red leather riding outfit. Draped over her shoulders was a long sable mantle, which Aether thought looked somewhat feathery. Her hair cropped short and a dirty brown, like the colour of soil. She did not look of the same race as her subordinates, with a rounder face and somewhat slanted eyes.
"I am in your debt," he lightly bowed.
"Oh, oh! That's quite unnecessary!" she hurried forwards and grabbed his shoulders, lifting him up, "Reginwald explained to me you were fleeing winter - Mondstadt accepts all travellers, no matter their origins!"
"I… see," was all he could say.
"You're not from here, aye?" she smiled kindly, "A southerner perhaps, sailed to Dornman and found the chill too much for your liking? The Land of Wind does get quite cold, especially north of the Stormbearers."
Before Aether could say anything, he was overwhelmed as she continued to ramble on.
"Lord Barbatos would curse me for not accepting outlanders," she laughed, "Come, come - I will get you a mare and a tent."
She put a hand on his right shoulder and pushed him forwards to the small campsite the knights had erected.
Internally, Aether thanked his stars that the land he stumbled upon was a welcoming land.
Off to a good start, he decided, might as well enjoy his time here.
Author's Note:
So this is the rewrite of Mirrored Odyssey. I'm uploading all of Act I in a single batch. If you have already read Mirrored Odyssey, I'm sure you'll enjoy the improved story and writing; if you are a new reader, I hope you enjoy. Leave a review telling me what you think in any case.
Rewritten on 3/6/2022