6th of the 2nd Cycle
The Guili Plains were a vast expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see.
A light dusting of white snow covered the ground, staining the earth a dirty white-brown. Perhaps, once up a time, this land was verdant and fertile - as it should be, bordered by the Luhua River to the west and Bishui River to the east - but the great flooding of the Bishui River in the Archon War had swept all the topsoil off the Guili Plains, leaving behind a rocky, craggy earth unsuitable for any kind of agriculture.
Which was why, despite the settlements of the Guili Plains having survived the war, Morax decided to rally the survivors of the Assembly and travel south to Mount Tianheng anyway.
Despite that, the great plain was still a sight to see. The land rolls as it always has, as if it feels that time and space are one thing, that it rolls through the ages as much as to the horizon. Ridges and cragged bluffs interrupted the otherwise rolling hills, sharply punctuating the yellowish land with piercing grey. Over it is laid a path, one that branches through the open landscape, perhaps once well-cared roads now fallen to disrepair - leading to the skeletal corpses of once-magnificent cities.
The Assembly was also known as a divine triumvirate, one formed between three neighbouring gods to forge a pact of safety. In the north were the ruins of Tuzhong, ruled by Marchosias, the Lord of Soil. In the west was Hudong, on the banks of the Luhua Pool - the first city of the Assembly - founded by Gusion, the Lord of Dust. In the south, built upon higher land, was Shangyan - the first city of Morax's, the Lord of Rock.
And raised in the centre of the three ruins was the sprawling, bleached stone skeleton of Guili, the first capital of the Assembly.
Aether had long since been travelling alone - whether the caravan was in front or behind him he could not yet reckon. From time to time, he would pass by other travellers on the road, but since there was little purpose in travelling the Stone Road at this time of year, bypassers were few and far between.
As his horse - which was unfortunately a new horse, since Jinpeng had not the courtesy to bring his old belongings to Wangshu - trodded down the road, he took his time marvelling at the ancient ruins of Guili to his left. Most of the city was hidden behind the massive curtain walls that surrounded the settlement, with all that were visible the heights of crumbling towers peeking above the barrier.
But that was not enough to take away the grandeur of the once-powerful city. The walls were built in the Liyuean manner - or perhaps he should say that the Liyuean manner was adopted from the walls of Guili - a massive barrier of smooth red clay, as tall as Mondstadt's own walls but much thicker.
The facade had long faded away, the once-vibrant red turned ashen from lack of care. There were a great many arches and columns carved into the wall to give it depth, but disrepair had caused them to crumble over time. Atop the wall were the remnants of a covered roof, with the few sections still remaining showing the sloping and curved tiled structure Liyue was famed for.
Interspaced regularly were monolithic watchtowers, each veritable keeps - that all paled in comparison to the western gatehouse. It was a fortress of its own, ejecting out of the wall into a thicker rectangular shape - and built above was a massive complex with three floors, each with their own wrapping roofs and intricate columned facades.
Below were three gates - not the kind of portcullises seen in the north, but studded double doors built of bronze. The central gate was at least twice the size of the two smaller gates flanking it, with one door fallen over - allowing him a glimpse into the abandoned city inside.
Aether was about to turn away and continue on his path when he noticed something curious - a thin line of smoke rising into the Sky, originating from within the walls of Guili.
An adventurer, he presumed, or a treasure hunter - or perhaps one of those treasure hoarders from Fontaine.
Deciding that it could not hurt to indulge in his own curiosity, Aether tugged at the reins, changing directions and approaching the massive gatehouse.
As his horse clopped up the stone stairs, he noticed two intricately carved stone statues flanking the central gate - depicting two ape-like figures wielding swords. Their eyes seemed to follow him as he moved past them, but he ignored them in favour of kicking his steed into a canter, quickly moving underneath and through the central gate.
Entering the ancient city, he saw that most of it had been worn away. All he could see were the crumbling facades of ancient mansions and palaces - built atop stable foundations that have survived the tests of time. Most ordinary houses were long gone, leaving behind only stone foundations and structures. A breeze swept through the empty city, whispering through the ruins and facades like the hushed voices of the long dead.
He saw a mighty building near the central city, a great fortress-palace with towering spires and crowned battlements. Moving through the empty, still-defined streets, he noticed that Guili was of a planned build, with neat, orderly blocks and quarters in stark contrast to Wangshu's mess of avenues and alleys.
Approaching the straight road to the fortress-palace, he realised it was an inner ward - a walled citadel - with walls even greater that those surrounding the city. And much like the outer walls, the barriers were still high and mighty, standing firm despite millennia of disrepair and erosion.
Some sort of sorcery, Aether surmised, whether it be mortal or divine - these walls were built to withstand divine wars, mere time wouldn't be able to bring them down.
Tearing his gaze away, he looked to the Sky to see the column of smoke much closer than before. Deciding to travel on foot, Aether dismounted and led his horse to a nearby dilapidated column, which he tied the reins around.
Swiftly striding down the streets, he turned several corners - making sure to remember the path he took as he went - before reaching the entrance of a large clearing. Seeing the ruins of an empty fountain in the centre, and the mosaic ground covered in a layer of dust and soil, Aether assumed it was once a plaza of some sort.
Nevertheless, what truly caught his attention was the small campsite raised at the edge of the plaza, right underneath the barren wall of a building. There was a single tent and campfire, and a horse tied to a wooden stake - but no person to be seen.
Aether approached the campsite, glancing in the tent to see some bags and bookstacks - as well as a bedroll.
"I'm certain I left it around here somewhere…"
He froze for a fraction of a moment, before slowly backing away - turning around to see the person approaching.
She was a tall woman, wearing a rough but rugged leather outfit - and a grey scarf wrapped around her head and neck into a hood.
"Left what?" he asked.
The lady jerked, suppressing a shout while swiftly drawing a long knife on him.
"Who are you?"
Aether eyed the knife in her hand, before dismissing it.
"Aether - and who are you?"
"...Bao'er," she said, before scanning his form, "You don't look like a local."
"Good eye," he agreed, "I'm not."
They stared at each other for a while, before Bao'er slowly sheathed her dagger, walking past him to look inside her tent - likely to ensure there was nothing missing - before turning back around to address him again.
"What are you doing here?"
He nodded at her campfire, "You can see that smoke from a league away - there isn't much in the plains to block it."
She stared at the campfire, before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.
"So…" he returned, "What are you doing here? Treasure hunting?"
"I'm an archaeologist!" Bao'er snapped, "I got my hands on some artefacts but misplaced the somewhere…"
"A terrible archaeologist, then."
She was likely a treasure hunter, he figured, using the cover of 'archaeologist' to keep the Millelith and people like him off her back. Well, it wasn't any of his business - he didn't know what laws the Republic has regarding treasure hunting in any case - and he had already satiated his curiosity nonetheless.
"Well…" he mused, glancing around her camp, "Guess I'll be on my way, then."
"What? You came here just to investigate my camp?" she asked, incredulous, "Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Not really," he admitted, "I'm on an… extended vacation."
"What-!?" she palmed her face, "You know what- no, nevermind - off you go."
Aether obliged, turning around and making his way back to his horse - hearing Bao'er go back to muttering to herself about the artifact - or more likely treasure - that she had lost.
What a waste of his time, he thought amusedly.
15th of the 2nd Cycle
Aether stood on the cliff north of the city, overlooking the Sea of Clouds - overlooking the City.
He had come across many a Liyuean on the Stone Road, and whenever he heard them mentioning Liyue Harbour, they would refer to it as 'Chengshi' - 'the City.' And the moment he was finally able to set his sights on Liyue Harbour, he completely understood why they did so. Because if there was one city on Teyvat that deserved the title, it was this one.
The span and scale of Liyue Harbour dwarfed any that he had seen before - Mondstadt and Dawnton were towns in comparison, it put Wangshu to shame, it was larger than even the city of the Tower. It sprawled across the entire bay, a sea of colours and lights - of red and green topped roofs and glittering streets of gold. To any merchant, Liyue Harbour was synonymous with wealth and prosperity - it was the centre of the mercantile world, and it flaunted its wealth.
Liyue Harbour was loud - loud enough to even be heard from the mountaintops - loud enough to seemingly be heard - a cacophony of people, brightness, colour and voices that drowned out his thoughts. Of endless sights to feast his eyes upon, of buildings in every shape and size, shops and business running day and night, of flowing goods and traders from every corner of the continent.
It was the city that never sleeps.
The city was not confined to land alone - for the Sea of Clouds was a sea of ships - hundreds, thousands of vessels hailing every inch of Teyvat - so many that they blocked any sight of the sapphire waters below. Carracks and galleons from the Windrise and Dornman Port, longboats from Natlan, dromonds and swanships from Sumeru, caravels from Fontaine - even steamships, hailing from Fontaine or Snezhnaya he could not fathom.
And the distinctive junks of Liyue, with their rectangular hulls and bamboo sails. But all of them were cast in the shadow of the Treasure Ships, mammoth junks with five decks and eleven masts - five-hundred feet from bow to stern, they were floating cities capable of ferrying hundreds. They carried precious stones and exotic goods, spreading the influence of Liyue far and wide - they were the physical manifestations of the Qixing's wealth and power.
Aether sucked in a breath as he took in the sight fully - and choked on the harsh smell of salt, fish and brine that struck him like a speeding horse. It truly did strike him then, that he was no longer in the Land of Wind, where the pleasant smell of dandelions and wine carried aloft by the winds were ever-present. No, there was none of that here.
He turned his horse away from the cliff, returning back to the Stone Road. Indeed, the Stone Road finally ended here, at a winding stretch of land that meandered down the mountainside to the northern shore of the Feiyun Sound, where a great bridge allowed access to the open gates of the wall-less city. Because Liyue Harbour had no need for walls - surrounded on three sides by mountains and one side by sea, there were only three landways into the city, all of which were narrow passes guarded by overlooking fortresses.
Indeed, to the north was Daoxiang Pass - which he had just passed through the day before - formed by a natural stone archway commanded by a watchtower-keep on the nearby mountainside.
In warmer seasons, this mountain road would be packed with thousands of people going to and coming from the north - but now, it was empty. The city usually received the greatest influx of visitors in the fall, when people from all across the Republic and beyond would come to witness the Lantern Rite in the following year - thus arriving in the city before the snow closes the roads.
After the Lantern Rite on the first full moon of the year, most will leave the city - but at the same time many will stay to witness the Rite of Descension in the following moon, which he had now come for.
Continuing down the road, Aether felt the prevailing winds once more - blowing north, towards the Land of Wind, where all thousand winds converge. Looking south, he was forced to squint lest the harsh gust sting at his eyes - but he was still able to make out Zhandou-yan - Battle Rock - a small peninsula with a craggy bluff situated at the very end.
On top of the bluff was raised a monumental stone lighthouse with stepped layers - and at the very top was a massive cage housing an immense blazing fire the size of a house. At the foundations of the lighthouse was a square fortress of unadorned grey stone - with thick crenellated walls bristling with concealed ballistae and onagers ready to rain hell on any attacking fleet in the bay.
As the Sun began to set in the west, Liyue Harbour gradually lit up as countless lanterns and fires were set alight - turning the curved bay into a golden glowing strip. Aether did not stop until he found the last wayhouse on the city approaches, situated on the landward side of the cliff, right in the shadow of the mountain. Curiously, he spotted another horse tied to a stake outside the wayhouse, and figured there was another traveller who decided to rest there for the night.
Slowing to a halt, Aether swung himself off his own ride before tying it to the stake - before moving over to a nearby haystack and refilling the trough with water and hay.
After that, he retrieved his pack from the saddle and approached the wayhouse, knocking on the front door before entering.
Inside was barren but warmly lit, with several beds for staying travellers. There were also several desks, and on at one of the desks sat a young woman with her back turned to him - she had a long curtain of dark hair draped down her back, still wet from a bath of some manner - and dressed in a robe tied at her waist.
She seemed to be engrossed with something on her desk, so Aether quietly took off his cloak and outerwear before hanging it on a hook - right beside an immense witch hat, ostentatiously adorned with some golden metal and clearly masterfully embroidered.
"Hail!" he called, "Pardon me."
Aether threw his pack onto an unoccupied bed before the lady turned around, revealing a round face and pale green eyes. She was clearly not of Liyuean descent, he noted, but perhaps Windic or Fontainean.
"Ah," she pointed at him, "You are Aether, yes?"
"You know who I am?"
"Of course!" she sniffed, "I am Mona Megistus - and as usual, my predictions are correct! Our meeting was ordained by fate!"
"..."
"Though… you came far later than I had first predicted," she scratched her chin, "I still need to hone on my skills, clearly."
Aether cleared his throat, drawing her attention, "When you say fate… do you mean fate, or Fate?"
He clearly emphasised the second 'fate,' which led to Mona narrowing her eyes and standing up.
She looked him in the eye and held his gaze, before clearly enunciating; "Fate."
"Well," he sighed, "I'll be damned - an astrologist, then?"
"Hmph! That's right - and though you are late, I'll be willing to overlook it if you do me a favour!"
"Which is…?"
"Well, I need you to guide me to Mondstadt! I am on a mission from my master to retrieve a certain box from-"
"Denied," he bluntly interrupted, "You speak fluent Reitz, clearly you are Windic - why can't you go there yourself?"
"Well, that's because I was only born in the Land of Wind," Mona replied, clearly irritated, "I was raised in Fontaine - and as you know, I said Fate, it isn't like I have a choice!"
Aether collapsed onto his bed - staring at the wooden ceiling - too tired to deal with the astrologist.
"Hey, are you listening to me!?"
"I hear you, lady," he groaned, "Trust me, I have more experience with Fate then you ever will - you'll be fine."
"Yes, but unlike you," she pointed at him accusingly, "I'm only mortal, and if I go wrong here, I will be swimming in a dark sea for the rest of my life!"
"Well, I just came from Mondstadt!" he countered, "I'm not going back there so fast!"
"..."
Aether raised an eyebrow at the lack of response, lifting up his head to glance at the lady - who was staring at him with wide, confused eyes. Suddenly, she crossed her arms and looked down with furrowed brows, muttering to herself as she started to pace the room.
"So… It is not that you are late, but I am too early?" she murmured, "You were supposed to be leaving the city when you run into me, not coming to…"
"Uh…" he tried.
"But I am certain my divination was correct…" she ignored him, "Both of us were supposed to be here on this day… so what if neither of us were wrong, but the timeline…? No, that's preposterous, how could the time be wrong?"
"Hey…"
Suddenly, she spun her hands in the air and something on her desk glowed - which he realised was a Hydro Vision - and an astrological chart appeared in front of her, formed of glowing Hydro. Mona was quickly engrossed with fiddling the chart and consulting it, to his consternation.
"Hey!" he shouted, and she finally flinched and looked at him.
"Will you stop that?" he continued, "Fate is finicky - and unfortunately for you, you managed to be unlucky enough to hit a snag there, so tough luck about that, but-"
"Luck does not exist," she interrupted him, "At least not for us mortals - we are all chained to the road Fate paves for us."
"Well, then what do you call this?"
Mona gave a half-smile, "Fate."
Aether stared at her for a while, before suddenly sitting up, "Oh no - you are not going to- no way, no way in seven hells you are going to-"
She disregarded his protests and shrugged.
"Looks like I'll have to follow you around until you get to Mondstadt!"