It was a normal morning in the kingdom of Khaenri'ah, the people milled around casually talking… the war outside that had been raging for the past six years had a minimal effect on the capital of Khaenri'ah, the outlying villages hadn't been so lucky… crazed *beasts* charged with abilities, the *archons* as they called themselves, what a deceptively regal name.
It was hard to believe that a mere generation before they had lived in relative peace. Now they were at outright war. Zenofia didn't quite remember her life before she came here.
She was only 8 when it happened. All Zenofia could remember was running frantically around looking for her parents as people rushed in and out of houses dragging away her neighbors. Clashes of steel around her, but one thing always stayed the same, the foreigners, the one invading her home had this weird aura that seemed to clash with the very nation she stood on… fire would appear at the ends of their swords or they would blast electricity at their opponent swiftly dispatching them like it was nothing before doing it again… and again… and again…
Each victim fell with a sickening thud on the ground, their limp body still flickering with whatever their opponent could summon out of thin air… that she could remember vividly….
Lost in her own thoughts she nearly missed, nearly missed like the rest of the market, two people appearing out of thin air, two pale skinned, wiry blondes, wearing nothing like anything she had seen! Zenofia instinctively searched for the mark of her nation, one that signified that people were safe…
It wasn't there...
The girl appeared out from the dark shadowy corner first seemingly bickering with the second, a male with a braided ponytail.
It wasn't necessarily uncommon for people to draw energy from the Abyss using it to their advantage, teleporting wasn't even that uncommon… She wasn't too skilled in alchemy but she did know that the Abyss was alive, the Abyss pulsed with energy. It looked like a boring cave structure supporting a city… a city that had nothing to offer. It was true the Abyss was a harsh place to live, but that meant all of its people were adaptable, they were tolerant, and they always had hope, nothing could shake that.
It would make anyone proud to be part of a Nation that had risen to the top despite the odds.
None of the city guards were nearby… by the Abyss this was bad… maybe she could just observe them…
They immediately went to the nearest vendor selling clothes who reluctantly gave them new, less odd clothes…
Now that they had gotten rid of those strange weird clothes they actually almost looked part Khaenri'ah… maybe they were just that, the lack of Khaenri'ah signature could just mean that they were half Teyvatan, they lacked the torn up feeling most of them gave off, like something was actively competing with the very nature of the Abyss.
As she creeped behind them she clumsily tripped over a rock causing her to loudly crash into some crates, she shook off the wet vegetables that had plastered them on her, flicking off a onion that had gotten stuck in her hair, laughing nervously when everyone turned to stare at her.
"I think we have a shadow," laughed the one with short hair in a funny voice, taking a carrot out of my hair and extending a hand.
I scowled suspiciously at it, but took it anyways, "I am not a shadow!" protested Zenofia, "I am a uh… I'm a person!"
"I'm Lumine, and the meathead over there is my brother Aether, what's your name?" she smiled still having her weird accent and cocking her head to the side, "And if not then what were you doing lurking behind there?"
Zenofia opened her mouth to respond then clearly thought better of it, choosing to scowl again instead.
Before she could think of some sort of clever response or believable lie there was another indigent shriek, this time from the one called Aether stomping his feet on the dusty gray dirt below us and sending up tiny puffs of dust into the air, "I am *not* a meathead!"
Putting her hands on her hips, Lumine rolled her eyes mockingly, "Suuuure you aren't!"
Aether then glanced down at me, then back at Lumine, "Do you think she knows the best places to eat here?"
"Always thinking of her stomach, and why don't you ask her?" asked Lumine still with a mocking tone, and turned back towards me. Of course I did! Zenofia may not have much food considering the meticulously implemented food distribution and storage plans that the elders had made, but she did know some places.
Zenofia looked at Aether, a laugh rising in her throat too, maybe they weren't so bad, before cheerfully chirping, "You're paying, think of this as a service fee, plus 20 drachmas in advance!"
"Lead the way!" said Aether, handing me the coins with a dragon engraved on them , "I haven't eaten in ages!"
Lumine just simply sighed before following me down the streets.