Running away with the unconscious girl on my shoulder, I hear the sounds of explosions and collapsing buildings behind me. …was in ruins and would soon be wiped off the map, all because of…
"You are not allowed to survive, enemy of Teyvat."
Raiden Makoto. The Archon of Electro, and possibly one of the strongest Archons in Teyvat. "Tch." With the power of both Dendro and Electro, I summon the Yggdrasil (Fake) and Susanoo's Lightning Blade (Fake) respectively. "I never wanted this…you caused this!" Memories of my fallen comrades appear in the forefront of my mind. "I just wanted…Why do this? Answer me Makoto!"
"The time for discussion has long since ended. Now perish in the name of the Shogun!"
Mondstadt
"-lutations, Ren."
'Ugh…What a wild dream.' Raising my head from the table, I find myself staring down Fischl's sole eye. "…"
Thud!
I just slam my head back down. 'I shouldn't have drunk so much…'
"Ahem." Ugh. "Though you have failed to acknowledge my presence, I will allow it, just this once." Oh, no. I just realized why she's here. "Didst you finally co-"
"Fischl? How many commissions did you accept?"
"I believe it was only 7 this time." Oz, her familiar, butts in.
"…Sniffle."
"Eh?! Ren?"
'I should've just died in Dragonspine.'
Stormbearer's Mountain
We finally finished our last commission of the day. "Ren. You exude a foul stench." She just pinches her nose as she separates herself another two feet. 'Gee, Thanks.'
"You didn't really give me any time to change." She's not wrong though. I smell like the town drunk.
"Apologies Ren, but are you old enough to be drinking?" No, not even close.
"Definitely not in my home world, but who knows here. Ah, speaking of. Fischl, do you want to know more about my world?" She lights up like a Christmas tree at the mention of my home, how she found out about me being an otherworlder, I don't know, but I can't find it in me to deny her childlike curiosity.
"Yes! …Ah. I mean, if that is what you desire." Heh.
"Last time, I spoke of the number 1 Hero, Stars and Stripes. This time let's touch up on America's number 2 Hero. Icy Frost, or better known to me as Ayumi Himura, my older sister."
"She's the sole inheritor of my family's quirk, Ice Creation/Manipulation. She was the only pride and joy of my family." It's fairly obvious what I'm trying to convey, and thankfully Fischl doesn't interrupt me, but it's obvious she's displeased with my treatment.
"She's 6 years older than me, and was one of the youngest heroes to ever make it to the top 10. She was…what the hell is that?" I ask, pointing at a dragon, there's no name better to describe it with. It just flies overhead descending into the woods next to starfell lake.
"I see. Fufufufu…Come Ren! We must defeat that evil dragon!" What the hell? Is she nuts? I don't have elemental powers! I'm a completely normal non-combatant adventurer! "For I, Fischl, the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung have seen the threads of fate with my Auge Der Verurteilung, and it has foretold that we shall successfully fell the nefarious Dragon of Storms."
"Milady…" Oz is unable to finish as we notice someone going straight towards the dragon's landing spot.
'…' Jumping off the cliff, I use my windglider, given to me by Amber. "Fischl! I'll try to stop them! Just try to catch up!"
'Damn it all, why the hell am I being such an idiot? This is why I hated being born in a Hero society.' The wind glider isn't too hard to control, given the fact that it's become a habit of mine to use it frequently.
Landing at the foot of the small forest, I enter in a full sprint. Jumping over roots and ducking under branches, following the fresh tracks on the ground.
"ROOOOAAARR!"
I'm nearly blown away from the strong gust which accompanied the loud dragon's roar. 'That…can't be good.' Once the wind calms down, I continue onwards.
"-hew! That was too close! Paimon nearly got blown away! Good thing Paimon got a hold of your hair." Reaching a clearing I find the person, or should I say, girl I had spotted before. Along with a small floating…child?
I see the girl holding a…crystal of some kind, before it disappears in an instant. "Do people normally tal-"
"Sorry for interrupting but, who are you two?" I finally make myself known, watching the two warily.
"Kyaa! Ghost!" The small fairy child hides behind the blonde haired girl in fear.
'That's rude. My hair may be white, but that doesn't mean I'm a ghost. In fact, you have white hair too!'
"Isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?" Hoh? Guess she's just as wary of me, as I am of her.
"Then I shall come first!" Oh no, not again. "Feast your eyes upon the great Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort, former Ruler of the Immernacthtriech. Oh? Another traveler from another world? Yes…Only by the threads of fate were we outlanders destined to meet. Rest assured, this is no mere coincidence."
"Uh…What?" You and I both…
"I am Oz, mein Fräulein's familiar." Not helping Oz.
"...Wut?"
…Great. Just great. "We're adventurers. I'm Ren Himura, and this is my adventuring partner, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort." I hate that I can say it so clearly. "Or Fischl for short. And that's Oz, Fischl's familiar. Oh, and nice to meet you both."
"I see." You clearly don't!
"Getting back to my point. Who are you two? I haven't seen you two before." I've only stayed in Mondstadt for 2 months, but you don't forget seeing someone floating around.
"...I'm Lumine, and this is…"
"Paimon! Nice to meet you too!" The child reappears beside Lumine.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What? Was it something Paimon said?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. It's just…what are you? A flying fairy child? A ghost?" How's that? A little taste of your own medicine.
"Hey! Paimon is not a ghost!"
"She's right." Lumine says. "She's my emergency food." Heh.
"Hey!! That's even worse than being a ghost!"
Interrupting them with a small clearing of my throat, I ask them about the dragon.
"Hm…Is this the infamous 'Stormterror' everyone can't stop mentioning?" I ask the only "real" Mondstadt resident.
"Correct, my otherworldly companion."
"Hold on, Stormterror?" Oh, right. She's not from here either.
"Yeah…Mondstadt has had issues lately, mostly involving the dragon you just met. I'm not entirely sure on the details, but supposedly, the dragon which was tasked to protect Mondstadt by the Anemo Archon suddenly went rogue." Which isn't concerning that we just saw it, nope.
"There's also the issue of the knight's being understaffed and busy. Resulting in Hilichurls setting camps up close to the city." Totally not concerning in the slightest. Yep. Let's just drink wine all day.
"Making us Adventurer's work double the amount, but hey, that just means extra pay. Haa…" Isn't the Archon supposed to help at times like these?!
"Hehehe…" I hear the girls giggle at my plight. 'At least try to cover your laughter. '
"Hey you, stop right there!" A strikingly familiar voice reaches my ears once we're finally out of the forest. 'Hm? Oh, is that..?'
Landing in front of us, is the brunette which I have gotten to know well during my stay here. The Outrider of the Knight's of Favonius, Amber. "May the Anemo Archon protect you, str-Ren! And Fischl right? Heya! Helping out these outlanders I see."
"Yeah, they were looking to visit Mondstadt. She lost her brother, and is currently searching for him." I say pointing at Lumine.
"And the…Mascot?"
"No…Not again." I hear the little fairy mutter.
""Emergency Food."" Lumine and I say in unison.
"Hey!!! Stop bullying Paimon!" Lumine and I just fist bump in response.
"Hehe, I think I understand. I could help put up missing person posters if you'd like. Oh, but I was tasked with clearing out a Hilichurl camp. I'll be sure to help once I'm done." Seriously? Even near here?
"We could help if you want."
"Ah, that would be appreciated, thank you Ren." Yeah, well…
It wasn't my help I was offering. After all, I'm but a weak little adventurer with no experience with a weapon.
"You could at least help, you know?!" Silly child…
"Why would I do that? You guys handled it just fine without me." Not like I'm getting paid for doing this.
"You!! You could at least act li-"
"Paimon, let it go." Lumine stares at me for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "You…can't control elemental powers, can you?"
"Yep. I'm about as visionless as they come. Which is quite strange, considering you are too." I pointed out what I had noticed throughout the fight. "So, how is it possible that…nevermind." I don't press the issue as Fischl and Amber finally rejoin us.
"You're archery is pretty good, we should train together one of these days." Amber says to the resident chuuni.
"I will have to politely decline, the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung is a being of otherworldly prowess, there is no need for such trivial pursuits." Real smooth Fischl.
"Oh, that's fine. I can treat you to a sticky honey roast instead, I understand that training isn't for everyone." You somehow didn't scare her off, what a surprise.
"Ooh, is Paimon included in this invitation?!" Crossing the bridge, we pass by Timmie and his pigeons. Ugh. Annoying Brat. 'Woah. Where'd that come from?'
"How about my treat for everyone?" I offer, trying to clear my mind of those negative thoughts. 'Mondstadt's economy is currently in the dumps, I seriously doubt Amber could afford to pay for all of us. Considering Amber is technically a government worker, she gets paid from taxes…and there's not much of a population for that to be a viable living arrangement…Yeah, the less said, the better. Also, It's not like I pay much for rent, considering the Adventurer's Guild gives me housing at a reduced price.'
"Are you sure Ren?" Oh, yeah sure, if I don't spend it on food, I'll probably just waste away from all the alcohol I'll end up drinking.
"Yeah, go wild. Oh, actually I need to cash in the commissions." I probably have a couple thousand Mora right now, but…better safe than sorry.
"That's fine! I actually have to report back to Acting Grand Master Jean before we can eat, so please take your time. Let's meet back up in front of the Cathedral, next to the Statue of Lord Barbatos!" There she goes…I don't know where she gets all the energy from.
"I'm sorry, but what's happening right now?" Whoops. Forgot about our guest of honor.
"Right, sorry." Rubbing the back of my neck, I let out a sigh. 'I seriously don't want to explain…Heh.' "Oz? You're good at explaining things, why don't you tell Lumine all about our little humble Guild of Adventurers."
I gain a deadpan stare from the Raven, well, as deadpan as it gets. "...Right. Listen carefully, Traveler…
Adventurer's Guild
"All signed and sealed." Katheryne places all of the paperwork into a folder, before giving a small bow. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, Lumine and Paimon."
"..Right…" Lumine replies, still looking rather unsure about this. 'Too late now.'
"Thank you Kath. See you tomorrow." Now with Lumine as an adventurer and my pay in my coin bag, we can go to the statue.
"Kath? Are you close with Katheryne, Ren?" I hear the squeaky childish voice of Paimon ask me.
"Mostly professional, but a little bit of joking here or there. She's basically the one who handles my pay, I would at least try to be cordial with her." I answer back.
"Paimon guesses that makes sense." The conversation dies down, as we put our legs to work.
'The Stairs. I've walked up so many stairs, one would think I'd arrive in heaven by now, or maybe Celestia. Stairs suck, end of story.'
"Have you perhaps lost your voice, my otherworldly companion?"
"I could say the same to you too, you usually have so much to say. Don't tell me you're shy."
"Ren! I-I mean…Ahem. Nonsense. The Prinzessin Der Verurteilung would not face such petty turmoil." She denies, but she also broke character there.
"Are you sure? It looks to me like you're blushing." I say, getting slightly closer as I lean down to her eye level.
"I…am not!" She definitely is now.
"Ren? Perhaps you should lay off the teasing. Mein Fräulein may…overheat."
"Oz!"
"Sure, sure." Finally reaching the top, we see Amber waiting for us. Right next to her though…is Eula. 'Crap…'
Our groups meet up, and they all introduce each other. I, however, refrain from making any eye contact, opting to just observe our surroundings instead. 'Gotta make the whole disinterested look, actually look like it.'
The normal crowd that's usually around is here, some of the sisters and Barbara's number one fan…Whatever his name was. 'Hm?' For a split second, I catch the eye of the lazy pale nun. 'Keeping an eye on me still? Or, is it because of Lumine?'
"Will you continue to ignore me?" …I've delayed this long enough.
Turning to face the Captain of the Reconnaissance Company, I notice it is just us now. The rest were currently fitting a wind glider onto Lumine's back. "...And if I am?" I answer back, no real bite in my words.
"Then I shall exact my vengeance." She says, crossing her arms. "Mark my words, I will not forget this."
I almost chuckle as all of my worries are lifted off my shoulders. "Ahem. Then if that is how it will be, I shall continue to keep an eye on you."
"I too, will do the same."
I can't just dance around the topic… "...Eula, I-"
"I can only assume you have found out my family's history?" I just look away, it wasn't really something I felt comfortable with. It was quite the sensitive topic, even for me. "I shall take your silence as confirmation. Then tell me, does that change how you see me?"
"I can't give you an answer, not yet." I get a raised eyebrow from her in response. "Tell me Eula, do you agree with what your family did? If you can answer that, then I will tell you exactly how I see you."
"No, I can't say I have ever agreed with them. In fact, if they were to adopt the old ways again, well…let's just say that I may end up being the last of the Lawrence family." …That is one scary look. "Is that a good enough answer?"
"Yeah." Dropping the disinterested look, I give her the smile I've been holding back. "Then, I hope we can continue being friends." I extend my hand out for a shake.
She just stares at my hand with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Friends? I was sure we were associates at best." Well, aren't you funny?
Two can play at that game. "Apologies, I shouldn't have gotten so ahead of myself. I shall be seeing you, Miss Lawrence." I try to retract my hand, but it is caught by hers at the last second.
"...Ah. But, that does not mean I am opposed to it. We can be f-friends, right Ren?" Gah! Too cute! My old and decrepit heart can't take it!
"Yeah, friends. I hope we can continue to get along, Eula."
"Yes! I-I mean, of course." That's great and all, but could you let go? My hand might pop if you continue to squee-.
"Ahem." Turning to face the one who cleared their throat, I am met with a very angry Prinzessin. "I see that my subordinate and the Captain go hand in hand. Quite literally." That is one scary look. Ugh, deja vu.
"Ah. N-N-No! Y-You've got it all wrong!" Ow! Don't just smack my hand away! "We were just shaking hands!" Riiight...Eula, I was trying to shake hands. You, you were doing something else entirely, I believe it's called handholding? "Tell her, Ren!"
"On the first name basis already? You move fast, Eula." Not helping, Amber.
"Hoh? I see you two have grown quite close." Could you not bore a hole into me while saying that?! "But, Yes. Tell me Ren, the truth please." Oi, what's with you!? Speak like you normally do, you're scaring me!
"Mein Fräulein…"
"Ren! Tell them!" St-op! Shaking m-me!
"Hehehe…"
"Say something Ren, I'm waiting~."
"Mein Fräulein, perhaps you should mind your phras-."
"Shut up Oz!"
'I really should have died at Dragonspine.'
Mondstadt, Near the Fountain
"Geez! What's taking them so long?! Paimon's getting super hungry!"
"Who knows? Actually, aren't you always hungry?"
"Hey! Paimon's getting sick and tired of you bullying her!"
"Hehehe, sorry."