Book I: Anemo

Chapter 7: Butterfly Effects

"What do you mean Kaeya's not coming?"

I watched with a guilty sense of amusement as Amber reacted to the news of Kaeya's impromptu departure less than spectacularly. Jack, who had been our guide this far, had probably wisely taken off so as to not earn Amber's ire for his part in Kaeya's disappearance—if he hadn't agreed to show us the way, Kaeya would have had to do it.

It had been a few hours since we had set off from our camp in the early morning and separated from Kaeya. Jack had been a real help, using his adventuring knowledge to lead us to some off-the-path shortcuts that helped save us some time. Of course, as I had expected, Lisa's group had reached the Temple of the Lion first. And judging by the remains of a campfire, they had gotten here last night. Though if the tired looks on Paimon and Lisa were anything to go by, they had only recently woken up.

"He said there was something he wanted to look into," I explained. "It sounded important."

"A likely story!" Amber exclaimed. "He's probably back in Mondstadt drinking right now!"

Wow… Kaeya, your junior really has no faith in you at all. What on earth had you done to get this kind of reaction?

A yawn from Lisa interrupted Amber. "Now, now. Let's calm down, Amber. I'm sure Kaeya wouldn't shirk his responsibilities during an emergency. Besides, the five of us should be more than enough to deal with anything inside this temple."

"Six!" Paimon shouted, angrily stamping her foot in mid-air. "Don't forget about Paimon."

"Of course. I'm sorry." Lisa smiled as Paimon huffed, but that changed to a frown when she looked over to the temple entrance. "That said, it does feel quite intense. Even out here, the disturbance of the elemental flow inside is making me uncomfortable."

"Is it really that bad?" Looking at Lisa, it was clear that she was definitely feeling something, but it was hard for me to understand since I couldn't feel anything.

"Mages are typically more attuned to the flow of elemental energies," Lisa explained, then shook her head as if to clear it. "Let's just get this temple back to normal, so I can be a little less… tense."

As the others approached the doorway, Lumine stepped in front of me.

"I want to talk to you later," she said simply and absolutely poker-faced, and then she turned away.

I blinked in confusion. What could Lumine want to talk to me about? We hadn't really interacted that much. In fact, I'm pretty sure this was the first time she'd actually spoken directly to me. This did work out nicely, though. I had been wanting to learn more about her since I was all but certain that she was one of the twins Hodegos had mentioned.

I was dragged from my thoughts by the sound of grinding stone. Looking back to the temple entrance, I stared at the shimmering portal within it. I closed my eyes. Here we go again.

Thankfully, the sensation of the portal was much less prevalent this time. Less cosmic body horror and more of a too-intense roller coaster. It still took me a moment to catch myself, but I wasn't afraid of my heart giving out on me this time.

This portal didn't lead to an underground location. Instead, the Temple of the Lion seemed high above an unfamiliar landscape. While the sky outside had been that of a bright day, it was night in here. Stars floated in the heavens while an aurora painted the sky in brilliant shades of green.

Once everyone was inside, Lisa closed her eyes. A few moments passed. Then she gazed up and pointed to a ruined building further in the distance.

"There's a strong elemental signal coming from further ahead."

I sighed. Guess it was too much to hope for this last temple to be easy and quick. Curse whoever set these things up for being so diligent. Couldn't they half-assed it just a little and left the crystal at the entrance?

If I had better control over [Akasha], I could just create a bridge. It shouldn't differ too much from using it to make a shield, a function I had yet to test out in combat but had practiced slightly last night during my watch. But as it was now, there was no way I could create something that big right now. Much less maintain the concentration needed to prevent all of us from falling to our deaths.

So, for now, the long way around it was.

The path quickly hit its first dead end, though. However, the sound and feel of rushing wind told me it was time for some more wind current riding. Sorry, Yun Jin. Looks like you'll have to endure a little more embarrassment again.

That would have been the case if it wasn't for one tiny detail—Lisa didn't have a wind glider either. The beautiful librarian looked over at me and smiled coyly. I swallowed nervously.

Since Yun Jin was the lighter of the two, Amber would ferry her up to the top. Which meant that it was my responsibility to deal with Lisa. While part of me was happy and excited, it was going to take all of my willpower not to let that excitement build too much. The last thing I needed was for little Zach to wake up at a time like this. I'd never be able to look anyone here in the eye again.

Watching the others go on ahead, I turned to Lisa. Behind me, a "Whooo!" from Amber told me that she had reached the next level.

Okay, Zachary, just think calming thoughts. Inner peace. Inner peace.

"Now then," I walked over to her and knelt down, placing one hand on her back and the other in the crook of her knees, "you ever done this before?"

"No," she replied, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling herself closer to me.

Inner peace. Inner peace. Inner peace.

As I prepared to lift her up, the warmth of her breath brushed past my ear as she whispered, "So, since it's my first time, be gentle."

Innerpeaceinnerpeaceinnerpeaceinnerpeaceinnerpeace—

As soon as we reached the top, I placed Lisa back on her own feet, and she walked off with a satisfied smile. Trying to keep my eyes off the sway of her hips, I attempted to control my racing heart.

"That woman's going to be the death of me," I muttered under my breath.

A soft hand landed on my shoulder, and I looked over to see Amber gazing at me with a sympathetic expression. Her eyes spoke of one who had also suffered as I had.

"You get used to it."

As we continued on ahead, I could only hope that she was right.

As we headed deeper into the temple, I was shocked by the differences between it and the Temple of the Wolf. I'd expected all the temples to share the same basic design since they had been built by the same civilization. But instead, it was almost as if entirely different groups had built the two temples. And while I hadn't seen the Temple of the Falcon, I would wager that it was much the same.

Interestingly, this temple was in a bit better condition than the Temple of the Wolf. It had probably been abandoned sometime after that one. Perhaps the people of Mondstadt had possessed more respect for which of the Four Winds this temple was dedicated to.

We eventually came to a room that was almost entirely empty save for two things. The first was a bizarre stone pillar standing in the center of the room. A purple symbol was engraved on each of its sides—the same one on Lisa's Vision. Nearby, a simple chest of wood rested near one of the walls. A ring of red energy flowed around it.

If my experience with video games had taught me anything, the pillar and the chest were definitely connected somehow. An unlocking mechanism, perhaps. But this was just way too obvious. It had to be a trap. Were there mimics in this world?

I went up to the small column, gingerly laying a hand on it. Nothing happened. There was no sound of a trap clicking into activation, but neither had any part of the room opened up.

Sophia, analyze.

#…Analysis complete. Inactive Elemental Monument (Electro): A monument constructed to resonate with elemental energy of the correct type. Infusing it with the corresponding element will activate the monument.#

Another interesting contraption constructed by an ancient civilization. Just how advanced were the people who had made these temples? And the bigger question was, had they been the ancient Mondstadters? Or had the people of Mond merely repurposed these temples later for Four Winds?

"Lumine!" Paimon called out, buzzing past me in an instant as she stared at the chest with a desirous expression on her face. "Look! There's treasure here."

Lumine nodded silently, then looked over to the monument. She must have had the same thought as me, connecting it to the treasure chest.

"An Electro Monument," Lisa stated, answering Lumine's unasked question. "Just leave this to me. Stand back, sweeties."

Stepping away from the contraption, I kept my eye on Lisa. I was curious as to how exactly these things worked. This was a perfect learning opportunity.

Lisa raised her right hand, and the book resting in a pouch on her hip lifted into the air on its own. I stared in wonder as the book flipped open without a touch, and an arc of electricity built up around Lisa's outstretched palm. Then, with a wave, she released the lightning.

The Electro energy raced into the monument, flowing across it and filling the grooves with violet light. Then, a projection of energy came out from the top of the monument, forming the same symbol that was on the side. Then, with a soft ringing sound, the circle of light around the chest disappeared. The sound of whirring that came right after nearly made me jump. A quick look around revealed that the source was, thankfully, just a nearby passageway opening up.

"Treasure! Treasure!" Paimon sang as she floated over to the chest. "Come on, Lumine! Paimon wants to see what's inside."

Lumine smiled lightly as she went over and popped the chest open. She pulled out a handful of golden coins and some sort of emblem only slightly larger than the coins. It was teal in color and resembled the seals used for letters.

I gave Lumine and Paimon cautious looks. "Is it really such a good idea to be taking treasure from a temple?"

Paimon seemed to almost wilt, giving a saddened look to Lisa.

"It's fine," she replied. "The temples are abandoned anyway. And there's a chance that the treasure could have been brought in later. Treasure Hoarders often like to hide their caches inside domains like this."

Paimon let out a cheer and helped Lumine collect the rest of the gold.

I'm sure Lisa wasn't wrong, but I was still a bit nervous about taking things from a temple, even if it was no longer in use. That just seemed like the kind of thing that would get you cursed faster than being on the team that found King Tut. Especially considering how angry one of the Four Winds was about just being forgotten.

Once Lumine and Paimon were finished plundering, Lisa led on through the newly opened path. Along the way, I noticed Yun Jin and Amber having a quiet conversation.

That was a relief. With how quiet Yun Jin had been since this morning, I'd been afraid that our conversation last night might have impacted her mood. It had ended up becoming a bit more somber than I'd expected. Though I probably should have expected that once the conversation turned to my family.

I probably would never stop missing them. But being able to talk about them with Yun Jin, while bittersweet, had helped a lot. But, of course, then I had to go and ruin it by asking that stupid question.

What kind of moron was I? Yun Jin's answer to that question was obvious. Any normal person with a good family would have the same one. All I'd done was weird her out and remind myself of my own selfishness. I let my guard down because I was too tired and distracted by the memories of my siblings.

I made my choice. I can't regret it now.

"Hold on," Lumine's voice came from the front near Lisa.

I slowed to a stop and looked to where Lumine's gaze was locked on. It was a small group of hilichurls. They were gathered around a chest similar to the one we had just encountered, though this one was already open. Looking around, I could see coins scattered all around the room, which was filled with a shallow pool of water. The hilichurls seemed to have no interest in the treasure at all. One of them, who was standing apart from the rest, stretched and turned around. I tensed.

The hilichurl noticed us immediately. It grabbed its club off the ground and let out a shout intelligible only to me. "Enemies!"

Well, looks like a peaceful negotiation was off the table. Were all hilichurls just naturally violent?

In an instant, Lisa raised her arm. A stream of electricity hit the nearest hilichurl and arced off to the two nearby. Each had been in the water, and now their bodies were lightly spasming. The last one lifted up a crossbow and aimed it toward Lisa.

I ran forward, calling on Sophia to trace the trajectory of the arrow. With that guidance, I brought the blade of my halberd up to block the shot. The bolt bounced off with a soft ping, hitting the ground.

The three shocked hilichurls were starting to regain their senses. But they just as quickly lost them thanks to another strike from Lisa. Lumine and Yun Jin rushed forward, and the crossbow-wielding hilichurl finished reloading its weapon. Before it could fire, a "twang" rang out from behind me. An arrow coated in flames buried itself squarely in the center of the hilichurl's skull. It collapsed immediately.

With the ranged support taken out, the remaining three were easy pickings. I rushed at the one closest to me, raising my weapon to strike. Then, staring into its mask, I steeled my resolve. I would make this quick.

With a single slash, I severed its head from its body.

Letting out a breath, I turned to the others. Yun Jin had already dealt with one of them, though a couple of arrows spoke to some assistance from Amber. Lumine was drawing her blade out of the only remaining hilichurl's chest.

I used the water on the ground to clean my blade and then looked over to Lisa. "Nice job with the support."

Lisa winked and smiled. "No problem, sweetie. I'm always happy to help."

She walked over to the nearby closed door and began searching for a method of opening it. Meanwhile, Paimon was attempting to recover as many of the scattered coins as she could. Note to self: I may be able to bribe Paimon to let me pat her head.

I looked at the fallen hilichurls, a morbid curiosity overtaking me. I approached the one slain by Lumine and knelt down. My hand ventured towards the mask still held fast over its head. As my fingertips reached the edges of the mask, I stopped myself.

There was a reason they wore these masks. Even if they were dead, and even if they had been our foes, I wanted to respect that. My curiosity could wait for another day, once I had learned more about the hilichurls and why they wore the masks in the first place. Perhaps I could capture one later and try to ask it.

With the sound of the door opening signaling it was time to move, I returned to the others. I had to hold in a scream as another wind current awaited us.

Thankfully, this trip wasn't nearly as difficult. I'd carried Lisa once, so I was a bit more used to it. Plus, it helped that she decided not to tease me this time. Though I was almost a bit disappointed that she didn't. After all, I'd decided I wasn't going to take all of her provocations lying down anymore. The next time she tried, I was going to fight back.

"By the way, I'm curious," Lisa spoke up once we reached the top. "What were you doing with that hilichurl back there?"

"Oh, that." I was a bit surprised she had noticed but quickly explained.

She looked at me strangely, and a light laugh left her lips as the others caught up with us. "You really are a strange one. There are very few who would care that much about monsters."

"Yeah, well, there's not really that much difference between us and monsters. They just happen to fit the look more."

Lisa was silent, and I winced. I hadn't exactly meant to say that. I was usually better at keeping my more misanthropic thoughts down. Not to say that I hated humanity, nor did I just distrust all people. I had just simply learned long ago that humanity as a whole had an overwhelming predilection towards wickedness—learning about the Khmer Rouge at the age of seven tends to color one's view of the world.

Thankfully, Lisa changed the subject.

"So, why did you come to Mondstadt?" At my confused look, she elaborated, "Yun Jin came for research, and Lumine is looking for her brother. What about you?"

I shrugged. "No real reason. I just happened to meet Yun Jin and Bennett while wandering, and this was where they were heading."

"But you must have something you want to do."

I said nothing for several moments before replying honestly, "I don't know. This is the first time I've really had the opportunity to do what I want. I never really had the chance to think about things like dreams."

Back home, I'd thrown away any chance at creating my ideal future long ago. Taking care of my family had always been more important. It was part of why I'd decided to accept the offer to come to this world anyway. As selfish as it was, I wanted a chance to have the freedom I'd given up on.

Lisa hummed. "Well, if you can't figure anything out, I'm always on the lookout for an assistant."

"Lisa!" Amber suddenly interjected. "Don't try to trick Zachary into doing all your work."

I looked at Lisa dryly, and she chuckled. I would have perhaps taken her up on that off too, at least temporarily. Thanks for the warning, Amber.

We eventually came to another dead end. Though instead of a steep wall, this was a vast gap. I couldn't hear any rushing wind either, so there was no way we could use wind gliders to get across. Which, truthfully, I was grateful for. I didn't think I was quite ready for that much horizontal movement just yet. Especially while carrying someone else. Luckily, there did seem to be a way across.

Lisa approached a nearby cube, similar to the one from the Temple of the Wolf that had opened a door. When this one was activated, a platform floated over from a distance and docked nearby.

So this was how we were meant to get across.

"Hmm… I don't believe this is large enough to safely carry us all at once," Lisa noted. "We'll have to go in two groups."

After a quick discussion, the groups were decided. Lisa, Yun Jin, Lumine, and Paimon would head over first. Amber would be joining me.

As the four were carried off to a distant platform, Amber turned to me. "So, how are you enjoying the wind glider so far?"

"It's pretty cool. I mean, I haven't had much chance to use it for long periods, but it seems like it'll be a lot of fun once I get good at it."

"It is! Trust me, there's nothing quite like the feeling of soaring through the air. The only horrible part is having to come down." Amber grinned, then she looked at me with a look that was clearly that of someone trying to force on a face of inconspicuousness. "And how are you doing? No problems or anything? Cause if you've ever got anything troubling you, feel free to talk to me."

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what the heck was going on. But then, it hit me. "This is because of Yun Jin, isn't it?"

Amber's shoulders slumped. "Was it that obvious?"

"You're really bad at the whole subtlety thing."

Amber laughed sheepishly, and the now empty floating platform returned to our side, allowing us to step onto it. Amber briefly explained that Yun Jin had told her about the conversation the two of us had last night, and Amber had offered to talk to me. Apparently, Amber wasn't the type of person who could just sit still when she heard about someone who might need help.

"Please don't get mad at Yun Jin," Amber begged. "She was just worried about you."

I laughed in good nature. "Don't worry, I understand. I'd probably do the same if I was in her shoes. "

Amber was silent for a few moments, then she spoke up again, "So… Is there something wrong?"

I sighed wistfully. "It's complicated. I'm not quite comfortable going into details, but I'm just still trying to get used to living in a world without my family."

"I see…" Amber looked at me with a serious expression. "If you ever need to talk about anything, know that you can come to Yun Jin or me anytime. Or Kaeya, I guess, if it's more of a guy thing. Even Lisa would be willing to lend you an ear."

"That doesn't sound like such a good idea."

Amber waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry. All the teasing is just Lisa's way of getting to know you. I can assure you that she's really a great person if you ever have something you need to get off your chest. And you won't have to worry about her saying anything about it to anyone else; she's really good at keeping secrets."

Now that I thought about it, Lisa's teasing had seemed more like probing. It was like she was looking for how I reacted to it. Was it her way of understanding what kind of person I was? And while I wasn't sure about the whole secret-keeping thing, she did have that reassuring aura that made me think I could tell her anything.

"I'll remember your offer," I said simply. While I wasn't going to confirm anything, maybe one day I would be willing to talk more about it with someone.

Apparently satisfied with the result of the conversation, Amber nodded to herself with a grin. "All right! No more frowns, then. We're almost done with saving Mondstadt, so you better be ready to celebrate with us."

"As you wish," I replied. "And don't worry, I'll talk with Yun Jin later so that she doesn't have to worry about me."

After a few minutes and several platform transfers later, we reunited with everyone else. Based on the appearance of this section, this was where Lisa had said the elemental energy was most potent. We were almost there. Now, we just had to deal with the crystal.

We slowly moved into the final room, watchful for any enemies who might be lying in ambush. A stone identical to the one in the Temple of the Wolf awaited us; it was the only thing.

While I hadn't been able to feel it at the beginning of the temple, I could now feel the overwhelming elemental energy. It was as if the air itself had suddenly got heavier. The one at the Temple of the Wolf hadn't felt like this, so I wondered if this was because this was the only crystal left. Had all of the energy congregated here?

"All we have to do is break that, and we can head home," Lisa said with a relieved smile. "The thought of putting my feet up and relaxing has me fired up."

With that said, Lumine went up to the crystal and shattered it with a single swing of her blade. Not one for ceremony, huh? Immediately, the atmosphere became lighter now that the convergence of elemental energy had dispersed. Lisa took a deep breath and sighed in relief. Considering how sensitive to elemental energy she was, the change was probably even more noticeable for her.

With our mission completed, I recalled what Kaeya had told us in the Temple of the Wolf. Since Lisa was the librarian, she may know more about it.

"Hey, Lisa," I called out, "Kaeya mentioned that Stormterror was once one of the Four Winds. Do you know anything about that?"

Lumine looked mildly surprised. This must have been the first she was hearing of this.

Lisa nodded solemnly. "Dragon of the East, Lion of the South, Wolf of the North, and Falcon of the West… These are the Four Winds of Mondstadt, affiliated with Barbatos, the god of Anemo."

Barbatos… I felt like I'd heard that name before.

"So," Yin Jin looked at Lisa, "Stormterror is the Dragon of the East."

"Yes. Before it was called Stormterror, its name was Dvalin." Lisa looked down sadly. "Though most in Mondstadt seem to have forgotten that in all this 'Stormterror' business."

A thought occurred to me. "Then, the only reason it can only channel power from these three temples is…"

Yun Jin also seemed to realize where my train of thought was going. "It's already using up its own power."

Lisa nodded. "Right. Stormterror has been consuming itself from the beginning."

How horrible. Stormterror—no, Dvalin must be in so much pain. In spite of the danger it posed to Mondstadt, I couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

"Why would it go so far?" Lumine asked, a look of confusion on her features.

Lisa folded her arms in front of her. "Because of hatred, I presume."

Paimon's eyebrows scrunched up. "Hatred…?"

"Hatred for Mondstadt," Lisa answered simply, looking down at the shattered remains of the crystal. "Hatred drove it to become something more powerful than the wind itself—to become Stormterror."

"But why would one of the Four Winds," Paimon started, eyes holding a mixture of confusion and sadness, "hate the city it's supposed to protect?"

"…" Lisa didn't say anything and instead turned her head. "As a child of Mondstadt, it's something that's really hard to say aloud. But, when we get back, I can lend you a book if you really want to know."

Lumine and Yun Jin nodded. I was curious as well, but I would have to learn to read first.

Now that our objective had been met, we headed to the back of the room. Unlike the Temple of the Wolf, this temple's method of opening the exit was a lot more obvious. A plat on the wall with some strange markings was clearly just asking to be pressed. Lisa did so, and the magic circle that would bring us back outside appeared.

Lisa stretched. "Ah, now we can head back and rest."

Suddenly, she stopped. I would have looked at her strangely, but a strange sensation washed over my body. The others were looking at us in confusion. They must not have felt it.

"You felt it too?" Lisa asked, and I nodded.

Then, a discordant noise resounded in my ears. It was like the air itself had been torn asunder, almost like the crack of lightning, yet there was a strange emptiness to the sound. It came from outside this room.

I rushed back the way we had come from, eyes darting around.

"What's going on?" Amber asked, eyes wide and a panicked tone to her voice. "This didn't happen last time."

I didn't answer, scanning the sky for the source of the sound. Had a trap of some kind been put on the crystals that only activated once all had been destroyed?

"There!" Yun Jin exclaimed, pointing up. Following her line of sight, a shock came over me. The figure of a person was rapidly falling.

Sophia! Start calculating the path of the fall. Can we catch them with [Akasha]?

#Acknowledged. Based on the path, the target should fall within the range of [Akasha] 's current projection distance. As a result—#

There's no time! Help me do this right!

With an affirmation from Sophia, I held up my hands. Kaeya's words from yesterday came to mind, but I trusted everyone here enough to do this. But even if I didn't, I still would make this choice.

Instead of Bullets, I shaped the projection of [Akasha] into tendrils that flew toward the person. The other ends wrapped around my limbs, fastening tightly to me. The tendrils wrapped around the person, growing and expanding until he or she was fully cocooned inside them.

I'd forgotten about one thing, though—the inertia. Once the person had fallen past the level we were at, I was nearly wrenched off the platform myself. I was only saved by Amber and Lumine grabbing onto me from behind, the latter stabbing her blade into the ground to hold us in place. Then, with a grunt of effort, I began reeling our catch carefully but quickly.

It took a little while, but I eventually managed to do it with the help of all the others. Then, laying the cocoon on the ground, I made the [Akasha] disappear. And the shock that I had felt early only intensified.

It was a woman who looked around Lisa's age. She had a mane of vibrant crimson hair and wore some sort of armor that was in complete shambles. Her body was oddly cold, as if every ounce of heat had been sapped from her. Strange markings crisscrossed her skin, like some sort of scar-like nervous system.

Where on earth had she come from?

*She's from another world, like you and the blonde traveler.*

A voice that wasn't Sophia's echoed in my head. It took all my self-control not to jerk my head in surprise.

Who are you?

*There's no time for that now. Check to see if the woman's breathing.* Whoever it was, she spoke with a sense of authority. *Still… A ripple effect, huh? I should have expected this.*

I had no time to wonder what the uninvited voice in my head was talking about. She was right, after all. Right now, I needed to worry about this lady. The strange voice could wait.

I quickly lowered my ear to the woman's chest. There was no heartbeat. Working fast, I quickly began to perform CPR. Thankfully, I had learned how to when I was younger just in case something happened to my siblings.

While doing the chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth, I got with Sophia and asked her about something. After all, there was almost no way chest compressions alone would restart anyone's heart. But the only other thing that would help surely didn't exist in this world yet. Thus, I would have to do something else.

Once I got the confirmation that my idea was possible, yet also not guaranteed to succeed and carrying a risk to me, I turned around.

"I need one of you to take my place."

Amber came up immediately, and I switched out with her as I began to prepare another [Akasha Projection]. This time, it was a tube with a needle on one end. Going over to the mystery woman's side, I stuck the makeshift syringe into her thigh, aiming for a vein. Then I closed my eyes.

This was going to suck.

At my command, Sophia began the plan—a pre-modern epinephrine injection, with me as the source. After all, epinephrine was just a fancy name for adrenaline.

I was having Sophia force my body to make more adrenaline and then immediately store it inside my hammerspace. Then she would transfer the proper dosage into my impromptu needle and shoot it into our patient once every few minutes. It was a risky plan. One wrong move and my own heart could end up going haywire. But I believed in Sophia.

After several minutes, it finally worked. While still unconscious, the woman took in a deep breath of air on her own. Lumine grabbed onto the woman's wrist, and I briefly noted that the pained expression on her face seemed to lighten up at Lumine's touch.

"She has a pulse."

Amber stopped performing CPR and placed her ear to the woman's chest. "Her heart's beating on its own again."

I removed the needle and faced Lisa. "Okay, we've prevented the worst, but we still need to get her to a doctor or something ASAP."

While her heart was beating now, she still wasn't in the clear. Her other wounds were still grievous, and her body retained that abnormal chill. Even now, she was teetering on the borderline of life and death. She needed a healer.

"Barbara should be able to help," Lisa dug around in her pack before taking out a bottle filled with a strange liquid. "I have a few potions that should also help to stabilize her for the trip back."

I thanked her, allowing Lisa to carefully feed a measured amount of the potion into the Jane Doe's mouth. Even unconscious, she reflexively drank the elixir. That was a good sign.

Satisfied that the woman was in a condition well enough for it, I had Amber help me get the woman on my back.

"All right," I said, "I'll rush ahead. Where can I find this Barbara you mentioned?"

"She'll probably be at the church," Amber explained. "She's the deaconess, after all."

I nodded and started heading toward the exit. It was going to be a long journey, even if I ran. I didn't have time to hang around here. But before I could get far, a hand gripped my arm. It was Lumine.

"I'll help."

My brows raised. How was she planning on doing that? Maybe some kind of buff that would allow me to run faster.

She gestured to the teleportation circle, and I figured that Lumine wanted us to get outside first. Whatever she wanted to do, she must not be able to do it in here.

I entered the circle and quickly found myself back outside the entrance to the temple. Lumine was right behind me not even a moment later. She quickly walked up to me, hand placed on my right arm, and then closed her eyes. I briefly noticed Paimon nearby, clutching tightly to Lumine's back.

"So how are you going to—"

I was cut off by a sensation as if the world around me was suddenly pulled away. I barely had time to see Yun Jin appearing before the scenery around Lumine and me shifted. The sensation was similar to that of the temple's teleportation circle, though a bit smoother.

The next thing I knew, we were in a completely different place. In fact, we're back at Mondstadt. Or just outside it, at least. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a structure like that of the weird beacon that had been at last night's campsite. Though this one was glowing blue instead of red.

The other thing I noticed was that the storm around the city was now gone. I would have celebrated if the situation wasn't so urgent. But celebrating, and questioning Lumine about that teleportation, could wait for later. My passenger could not.

Saying only a quick "thanks" to Lumine, I took off running towards the gates. Barbara, whoever you are, I hope you're one heck of a healer.

###

Watatsumi Island. One of the six islands that made up the Inazuman Archipelago. And currently, it was the home of the Watatsumi Army. As the leader of said army, Sangonomiya Kokomi was constantly busy. Whether it be with planning military operations, taking care of logistics, or completing her ceremonial duties as the head priestess of Sangonomiya Shrine, it often seemed like she never got a chance to rest recently.

This was especially true today. Early this morning, a soldier had reported hearing strange noises coming from the ancient ruins at Suigetsu Pool. While Kokomi had sent Gorou and a band of soldiers to investigate, she couldn't help but worry.

Was this preparation for a direct attack on the resistance base?

So far, the shogunate's army had kept away from Watatsumi Island for the most part. Most of their battles had been either at sea or the occasional minor skirmishes on Kannazuka and Yashiori Island. It was the only reason why they had been able to hold on this long.

If the Raiden Shogun decided to bring the full force of her army down on Watatsumi Island, even Kokomi wasn't sure if she'd be able to come up with a strategy that would allow them to win. Not only was the Watatsumi Army smaller, but most of the soldiers were inexperienced. Many of them were ordinary people who had decided to pick up the blade to protect their dreams and ambitions. Compared to the more numerous and more experienced soldiers of the Tenryou Commission, Kokomi's soldiers were a lot rougher around the edges. A large-scale battle was not in the resistance's favor.

While she hoped her worries were unfounded, Kokomi needed to be prepared just in case. She had spent hours trying to devise a plan that, even if it couldn't lead to victory, could at least force a stalemate or allow the resistance to escape. Unfortunately, the options for an escape weren't very promising.

Kokimi was shaken from her thoughts by a gentle knock at the door.

"Come in."

Her trusted general, Gorou, walked in. His face showed no sign of worry or panic, which Kokomi took as a good sign. If he had found evidence of shogunate forces, it would show in his expression. He was quite bad at hiding his feelings. Even Kokomi, as bad as she was at understanding other people, was always able to easily discern his thoughts.

Though, if it wasn't the shogunate, what had the soldier seen?

"Did you find anything?" Kokomi walked around the table she had been behind, and Gorou placed something down on top of it.

Looking down, Kokomi saw that it was part of a broken Ruin Scout. They could often be found in the vicinity of Suigetsu Pool, so it didn't surprise her that Gorou had come back with it. But what caught her eye wasn't the destroyed construct but rather the object embedded into it—an arrow.

Drawing out the arrow, Kokomi studied it. It definitely wasn't Gorou's, nor did the design match those used on Watatsumi. But neither was it an arrow from the shogunate's forces. In fact, the material of the arrowhead in particular was quite strange.

It looked like a metal of some kind, but it definitely wasn't iron or any of the other common materials used for arrowheads. Whatever it was, it looked strong and valuable. It would have to be to so easily penetrate the armor of any one of the mechanical constructs that patrolled Teyvat's ruins.

This at least confirmed that there was a human element to whatever had been seen earlier. But, of course, that just left the question of who exactly had left this behind.

"We also found footprints at the scene, though we weren't able to track them far." Gorou leaned against the table's edge. "I sent several squads out to canvas the island."

Kokomi nodded. "Good. They should hopefully be able to find our mystery guest before the end of the day."

Gorou opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by someone barging into the room. This time, it was one of the other priestesses of Sangonomiya Shrine.

"Lady Sangonomiya," the older woman said, a bit winded.

"Yes?"

The priestess recouped herself, bowing lightly. "There's someone who wishes to meet with you. I've never seen her before, but she doesn't appear to be from the shogunate."

Speak of the Abyss. Kokomi glanced over at Gorou, and he nodded. This obviously couldn't be a coincidence.

"Show us to our visitor, then."

It was time to meet this mystery person and to see if she was friend… or foe.

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"Oh, why did it have to rain now of all times," Collei muttered to herself, the thundering boom of a lightning strike echoing through the valley.

The way she had come from was blocked by a large pile of rock, wood, and debris—a landslide caused by the torrential downpour. Of course, usually, Collei wouldn't have been too worried. It would have taken longer, but getting back to Gandharva Ville wasn't out of the realm of possibility for her. The only problem was that she wasn't on her own.

Collei turned around, walking back over to where she had laid down a young girl—Asha, Collei remembered the mother saying—on her bedroll. She was shivering, still not dry from being soaked to the bone in the rain. And the fire Collei had built still would require a bit more time to build up in strength enough to effectively warm her up.

Collei placed a hand on Asha's forehead. It was terribly high, the result of being lost in the forest for so long. Her skin was pale, and ragged breaths left her body. Collei had given her some medicinal herbs, but they really needed to get back to Gandharva Ville.

A faint growl pricked at Collei's ears, almost buried beneath the sounds of the rain and thunder. Memories from years ago roiled at the surface of Collei's mind, and it took everything to keep her focus. She couldn't afford to freeze up now.

From the darkness, a large feline stepped toward Collei and Asha. Its lithe body was held low to the ground, a long tail swishing as it stalked ever closer. A sense of panic set in for Collei. A rishboland tiger… And where there was one, there was bound to be more. A series of growls from further back confirmed the presence of more of the pack.

The leader of the group snarled, baring its razor-sharp teeth. Collei must have ended up crossing into their territory. Rishboland tigers were notoriously territorial, aggressively attacking almost any living thing that trespassed into their home. They were one of the most dangerous creatures in the forests of Sumeru.

As more and more tigers came into view, Collei felt any hope she had quickly die out. Then, something unexpected happened.

A dark mist rose out from the ground, a blackness that was darker than the night and seemed to eat away at even light itself. A strange scent filled the air, fouler than any natural thing—the scent of death. The cloud moved, almost as if it was alive, enveloping the pack of tigers. But that hardly registered to Collei.

Her body shook, uncontrollable tremors going through every inch of her. Memories welled within her, nightmares of her past. Her limbs trembled, and she felt like she would collapse at any moment. Her heart beat violently, pounding like a drum inside her chest.

Whatever this mist was, it reminded Collei of the power of the dark god that was sealed within her. Images of the experiments she had been subjected to, the cruel eyes of the Fatui scientists, and the screams of the other test subjects rose within her mind's eye. Tears pricked at the corner of her vision.

The mist seeped into the tigers, and their bodies seemed to change. Dark markings appeared across their fur, and their eyes turned pitch black. Each one tensed up, and their bodies spasmed for several moments as the mist seemed to almost possess them. Once the cloud had disappeared entirely, the tigers were still for a moment. Then the leader sprinted toward Collei with unnatural speed, its legs sounding like they should have broke from the force it had pushed off with.

Fear coursed through Collei's veins. She was going to die. What was the point of even fighting back at this point? There was no way she could take on all these beasts.

Then, Asha coughed.

It was like someone had slapped Collei awake from a bad dream. She could remember the face of Asha's mother, overwhelmed with worry and terror. Collei had promised that she would bring Asha back. If she died here, so would Asha.

Forcing her body to move, she rolled out of the path of the leaping tiger. As it crashed into the forest floor, Collei drew her bow and nocked an arrow. Then, she let it loose, calling to mind every ounce of training she had. It embedded itself deep in the head of the tiger.

But Collei's sense of victory was short-lived. The tiger didn't even look fazed by the fatal injury. Instead, it picked itself back up and made another rush at her, and several of the others joined in. She felt her blood run cold. How was she supposed to stop these things?

A soft voice tickled at the back of her mind. It whispered to her, telling her that she could kill these beasts and save Asha. All Collei had to do was unleash the power sealed away within her.

It nearly tempted her. But Collei refused to listen to the enticement of the god's remains. She wouldn't spit on the efforts that everyone had made in helping her. She was going to get through this with her own power! She prepared to draw back her bowstring again, the images of her horrible past replaced with the smiling face of the one who had saved her.

She wouldn't give in here. She'd defeat these tigers, no matter how many there were or how seemingly unkillable they were. She would find a way, and she would save Asha. There wasn't anyone around to save her, so this time she'd have to become her own savior. She was going to become just like Amber!

A bright light suddenly filled the valley, and the tigers paused, growling at the source of the light. Collei herself could hardly believe it. For in front of her, the green gem of a Vision floated. It pulsed with a warm glow, and Collei could feel her body lighten. Holding out a hand, the Vision dropped into her palm.

As the light dwindled, the tigers still looked a bit wary. Whether it was their own instincts or something caused by the mist, they didn't seem to like the Vision. But eventually, one got up the courage to attack.

Acting quickly, Collei fired an arrow, feeling the flow of energy and imbuing the power of Dendro into the arrowhead. This one pierced the tiger's neck. But unlike her previous attack, this one actually worked. The tiger collapsed to the ground, the dark markings disappearing from its lifeless body.

A sense of hope blossomed within Collei. She could do this.

Getting another arrow at the ready, Collei prepared herself for the upcoming battle. She wouldn't allow any harm to come to Asha!

Who on earth could our mystery woman be? Though, it probably is pretty obvious. And now, we start seeing some of the side effects of Zachary's arrival in Teyvat-with one or two more surfacing in the next chapter. As for the person on Watatsumi, I wonder if anyone can guess who exactly she is. Sidenote, the amount of research I had to do to figure out what's required to restart a heart was stupid-and most of the stuff I found was for restarting a still-beating heart. For anyone asking why didn't he ask Lisa to shock her heart back on like a human defibrillator, TV has lied to you. A defibrillator cannot start a stopped heart, it's used to get an abnormal heartbeat back to normal.

In other news, the lore we got from the Caribert chapter was nice, and thankfully it has not derailed my future plans. And while Dehya's kit may be lackluster, her story quest sure isn't. It may be my favorite story quest so far, at least of the non-Archon ones. If you haven't checked it out yet, I definitely recommend it.

I want to thank everyone for their reviews. I never expected the story to get even this much attention, so it means a lot. If you ever have a question and leave a review from an account that has PMs enabled, I'll be sure to reply to you (unless the answer would fall into spoiler territory for the future of this story). And for the poll, we still have 2 for Venti, 1 for Xiao, and 1 against both.

No Behind-the-Scenes this week, as it took me longer to proofread this chapter than I expected, and I have a dentist appointment technically later today. Good luck on all your wishes and have a wonderful week.