Chapter 4: Fight or flight
"Didn't you say that all the hilichurls were taken care of?!" I yelled at Amber as we were both running for our lives. I never got a good look at them, but it sounded like there were at least ten of them.
"They were!" Amber yelled back in frustration. "I scouted the area after the raid! Not a single one was around then!"
"Well, they are now! Oh, fuckmesideways-" Have you ever tripped on something but not immediately hit the ground? When you somehow still had enough balance to take a few more steps before the inevitable faceplant? Yup, that just happened to me. Before I managed to get up again I saw Amber slide to a full stop, fully charging her bow toward our attackers.
"Get up and keep running! I'll try and buy us some time!" Her arrow burst into flames before she released it. Shortly after I could hear one of the voices scream in pain, presumingly burning alive. I dared not look back behind me, the mixed sound of fire and agitated screaming twisted my stomach. "GO NOW!" She demanded once again as she quickly fired off two more arrows. I have no idea why I did it, but I followed her orders.
I quickly got up and ran. I had no idea where I was running off to, but my legs were going by themselves at this point. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster as nausea started to show its ugly head. After for who-knows-long, I stopped by some bushes and fell to my knees coughing my lungs off.
"Nonono not now! Keep yourself together you moron!" I whispered to myself in between coughing fits. My stomach and lungs tried to reject everything it has, even though nothing was in there, to begin seems like my body hasn't cleaned itself from the old medication yet. A typical reaction when undergoing a stressful situation without my daily dose. But I feel more in control now, so we're going in the right direction at least.
The sound of an explosion erupted in the air. It came from the same direction I was just running away from.
"W-what the actual fuck is happening!? Are they bombing us now?!"
I slowly got up with the support from a close-by tree and glanced back towards the path back to head demanded that I should run back but my body didn't listen. I just kept staring at the path as more fighting could be heard further away. Is this how I'm going to repay them for saving my life? For taking me in and helping me get up on my feet? For once I could feel anger build up inside me, not for the attackers, but against myself. This is good, this is something I can use. My body started to finally move again, I quickly took a look around and found a perfectly sized rock. Just big enough to bash some skulls in.
"Alright, motherfuckers. Let's even the battlefield." Adrenaline started to pump in my veins as I started to run back toward foliage and bushes are thicker than I remembered. I must've been so deep in 'flight mode' that I just ran through all the bushes that were in my way.
I couldn't hear any fighting anymore and it scared me. How could I leave that poor, defenseless girl all alone with those monsters?! How could I ever return to Mondstadt and tell them that their best scout got brutally killed by-aaaaaand she has defeated them all.
I slowly got to a full stop after seeing the ground covered with at least twelve, what I presume is, Hilichurls and a lone girl in the middle of it all with a big red bow on her quickly turned towards me with the bow ready but lowered it right after seeing that it was me.
"Hey! Didn't I tell you to run away?" She said with a smirk. I just kept looking at the fallen Hillichurls that were scattered on the ground before me. I could even see the sign of burnt grass and a medium-sized crater next to three of them.
"Amber… Tha fuck just happened over there?" I asked with a mix of concern and curiosity as I dropped the rock and pointed at the crater. "Did they accidentally blow themselves up or something?!"
"Hmm? Oh no, that was my Baron Bunny." She said with glee as she took out something from one of her pouches. Just as it left said pouch a big plushie that looked just like a bunny version of Amber popped up in her hand. "This is my Baron Bunny! Isn't it just the cutest!?" She asked as she gave it a quick hug.
"What manner of aneurysm did I just experience?" Was the only thing my level 10 intellect brain could come up with. Don't get me wrong, I am more than relieved that she's ok, but all these confusions are starting to get on my nerves. But just as I was about to say something else, Amber quickly dropped the bunny and reached back for her bow.
"Martin! Watch out!" But it was too late. I could hear how a series of deranged blabbering roared behind me as it moved towards was the moment I was waiting for.
I wasn't preparing a cool counterattack or anything. I just felt ready to get knocked the fuck out. And I could sense how it was right behind me now, preparing to strike me down. I closed my eyes and peacefully accepted my fate.
B O N K
That was weird... I could swear I heard the impact. And I could feel how something was pressing against my hair for a hot second.
B O N K
There it was again.
B O N K
What the hell is going on? I opened up my eyes and saw how Amber just stared at me like she saw someone walking on slowly turned around and got met by a wooden club hitting me right on my forehead… But it didn't hurt. It didn't even feel like I got hit at all. I even think a rolled-up newspaper would've hurt more than that club of his, I could see a slightly hunched, dark gray humanoid, roughly two heads shorter than me. Even though it's wearing a mask I can see that it's getting more and more frustrating as it hits me again and again and again.
I slowly turned my head back towards Amber and looked at her dead in her eyes.
"Is this… Is THIS what I ran for my life from?"Amber slowly lowered her bow, still staring at the Hilichurl in disbelief. It was still trying to inflict damage upon my head.
B O N K
"U-um… I…" She was at a loss for words. She nervously glanced back and forth between me and the Hilichurl.
B O N K
"Amber… I was fearing for your LIFE! You said that these things were dangerous!"
B O N K
"Doesn't that… hurt?" She finally asked cautiously. As if I would suddenly feel the pain if I thought about it.
B O N K
"Of-fucking-course not!" I snapped as I grabbed the club and yanked it off the Hilichurl's hands before it got another chance to hit me again.
"This poor little bastard is trying to hurt me with what I can only assume is a bloody balloon club!" I spat out as I, without looking, slammed the club with as much force my arm could manage on top of the Hilichurls head.
...I will never forget that sound. It sounded like I smashed a ripe watermelon with a sledgehammer. Amber yelped in surprise at what she saw. I even felt something wet splash against the side of my head.I ever so slowly turned my head towards the Hilichurl. Its mane-like hair was now completely drenched in its own blood. The club shattered at the impact, leaving sizable splinters lodged into its skull. After a moment of silence, it slowly fell back to the ground. Not a single sound came out of it after that.
I remembered the very first time I went to a gym. I felt like a fish out of the water. I was surrounded by people that were, in my opinion, already done being there.
They look like Greek gods with their perfect chests and broad shoulders and stomachs that you could grate cheese with. Every movement I made felt like I was being judged by the gods of physical wellness themselves.
But slowly I started to come to an understanding, no one gave a shit about me. Hell, they didn't give a shit about each other. They were there to train and that's it. Most of them were even kind enough to give me advice or correct me when they saw me doing something wrong. And that's when I learned to never feel embarrassed about any kind of training, we all start somewhere and as long as you keep on trying, you will get better eventually.
That being said, right now I feel like an absolute jackass. Behind the Favonius HQ, there's this training area where both fully fledged knights and knights in training alike can… well, train. So what manner of training did I get? Bow and arrow? Sword and shield or perhaps a big ass hammer? Nope. I got eggs.
I am currently in the middle of the training circle, tossing eggs up in the sky and trying to catch them without having raw eggs splattered everywhere. Sounds easy, right? That's what I thought as well until Jean ever so gently tossed me a drinking glass. The problem wasn't in my ability to catch said glass, but in how I completely shattered it in my hand as I caught it. Then she threw a pencil at me, and the same thing happened. Then she offered to toss me a book before I admitted that there might be a problem with my "Density". Because it turned out that I, for some bloody reason, also got way stronger than any human being should be.
And that made me question how I managed to drink from the pitcher and the glass of water when I first entered Miss Jean's office. But it turns out that my body was just so weak from the coma that it hadn't recovered itself enough.
It was so bad that I almost fell down the stairs on the way to the HQ multiple times. And the only reason why they let me leave the Cathedral in the first place was that I wouldn't stop whining about l. When they implored me to rest I would just joke it away and other times I would lash out in frustration. I do not remember any of that, but I believe them, sadly.
But that is all behind us! Because now I am about to smash my tenth egg in less than two minutes. It ever so gently followed the laws of physics and fell towards its destruction, my hand that is. I tried to gently snatch the egg with as little force as possible, but alas, the shell shattered by the pressure of my fingers and splattered all its content from all the directions it was allowed to go. I learned from my third egg that cleaning myself up after every egg is a waste of time, so with a sigh I reached for another egg that was in a basket on the ground next to me and picked up the eleventh egg ever so gently with my index finger and thumb.
Egg number six and eight broke before I even managed to toss them. Oh and it reminds me, I have to save up some money to pay for all the door handles I have unknowingly destroyed these past few days. I am just glad that I haven't shaken anyone's hand yet. Now that I think about it, I haven't been physically touched by anyone since Albedo tried to draw blood from me. I haven't received a fist bump or not even a pat on my shoulder since then. I guess that they knew from the beginning that they should stay cautious when it comes to me.
Time for number twelve to shine. may god have mercy on you, because I am not able to do so at this moment. I gently tossed the egg up in the sky and I stared at it emotionless as it slowly lost its speed and started to head downwards. I took a deep breath before snatching it from the air, expecting another golden shower… That came out wrong, ignore that.
But to my surprise, I didn't hear or feel anything splashing on my face this time.
I gently opened up my palm and it revealed a whole egg. Well, it had a small, small crack on it. But it was the best I've done so far! before I could try to toss it up again a series of slow, gentle clapping could be heard from behind me.
A flamboyantly dressed man with a tanned complexion, blue hair, and an eyepatch. The chest window revealed well-maintained pecs. The way he elegantly walked towards me and flashed a smile that would make nine out of ten dentists swoon told me that this man had some serious savoir-faire.
"I must congratulate you on your progress! Seems like the eggs of tomorrow in Mondstadt still have a future ahead of them. Which egg are you on now? eight? Ten?" He asked with yet another flashy smile.
"Twelfth," I answered honestly with a forced chuckle as I was about to toss the egg again, only to find out that I had unknowingly crushed it during Mr. Eyepatch's presentation.
"... Make that Thirteen," I muttered under my breath as I shook off the smear and reached for yet another egg.
"So, how do you find Mondstadt so far, hmm?" He asked as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. I could feel how he was sizing me up and I tried to ignore it as best as I could.
"I have no idea, sir. I just appeared here one day." Another smashed egg. For some reason, this guy is making me nervous.
"Jokes aside, I find it… Different. Nice but different." I could hear him chuckling under his breath.
"Oh, I bet. From what Amber told me, visions are not even a thing where you're from. I guess I would find it equally as bizarre if our shoes were switched." He responded as I smashed another egg. He smoothly left the wall and calmly walked around me.
"But where're my manners? My name is Kaeya Alberich. The Quartermaster and Cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius." He introduced himself as he reached out a hand to me.
Now that he was closer to me I could see that he was just a tad smaller than me. But from the way he walked and talked in the beginning it almost looked like he was a head taller than me. Funny what confidence can do.
I looked down at his hand and started to feel uneasy.
"Nice to meet you, sir. I would love to shake your hand, but I'm afraid that mine is unfit to do the honor."
"Oh don't worry about that, I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty, especially when it's about greeting a future ally." He's testing me, I can see it through his friendly smile. The last thing I want is to hurt others, and he knows it.
"I'm afraid that I have to insist, sir. The last thing I want now is to turn your hand into egg number fifteen."
a smirk formed on the Captain's face as he let his outreach hand fall to his side.
"They say that you can tell everything about a man's character from his handshake," Kaeya said as he placed a friendly hand on my shoulder.
"And I promise you'll get to experience it, once I'll be able to give them out properly," I answered back with as a friendly smile as I could muster. But I have a feeling he can tell how uneasy I feel about all of this. We Swedes take our personal space seriously.
"Looking forward to it! But in the meantime, care for a glass?"