Prologue

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Chapter 4 - Fate Approaches

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WARNING: MENTIONED SPOILERS FOR 3.5 AND BEYOND IN ALL FUTURE CHAPTERS

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Art by Raazu (on Fiverr)

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"Ista, you are my best and only friend in the world, but did you really have to do me dirty like this?" Raylan thought as he walked alongside the last, overloaded, wagon. The wagon was stacked with goods, but also with as many people as it could be. Mostly those who struggled to walk for whatever reason, mainly age, got a ride in the wagon.

He, on the other hand, walked alongside it as a guard as requested by the people he'd saved.

Turns out he was the only one with any form of training or fighting ability. Sure, the civies had a weapon or three between them but none of them had a vision or anything of the sort. So it fell to him to protect the now mostly ruined convoy until they made it to Khaenri'ah.

And then likely protect Khaenri'ah itself from its impending destruction.

"A little warning would have been nice, Ista." Raylan thought before pushing that thought to the side. Why the Goddess of Time had decided to keep this tidbit of his arrival to Teyvat a secret he didn't know, but he trusted she had her reasons.

Perhaps she was worried she'd overwhelm him, or that he'd overthink it if she told him what he'd been stepping into upon arrival. It was touching to think that was the case, and well within character for her considering how much she cared for him, but she should have known he wouldn't have overreacted.

He would have reacted, sure, but not completely lose it.

"Let's hope I have some time to figure this out," The young Archon thought, he sighed quietly to himself, "We'll have up to six Archons and the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles on their way to wreck house soon if the Abyssal monsters running around were anything to go by."

Although he couldn't confirm the time of his arrival in Teyvat, the fact that abyss monsters were roaming around signaled to Raylan that he had arrived during the Cataclysm period of the timeline. A period Raylan knew shit went down in. Like Venti and Dvalin battling Durin, and the events of the Chasm and its sealing near Liyue.

If that was the case then Raylan was in deep trouble. Not only did he have the fall of Khaenri'ah to deal with, he may also have an army of abyss monsters to take down courtesy of the alchemist Gold, and then he had to figure out how to kill off the abyss monsters before they could do the full amount of damage they did in the game's timeline across all the nations!

There was so much shit happening at once, and it was all coming to a head soon enough.

What were his options exactly?

The leaders of Khaenri'ah wouldn't listen to a word he had to say, they ignored Pierro despite his position so they'd likely brush off what some random asshat from outside the kingdom had to say. Especially if he started spouting about the destruction of Khaenri'ah and its people entirely at the hands of the Gods.

The people would likely be the same, to them he'd be some random merc shouting nonsense about the end times of Khaenri'ah. Nobody would believe him, just like in the game.

As things stood before the young Archon of the Abyss, there was only one option.

Stand and fight.

Which, considering what, and who, he was going up against wasn't exactly a thrilling concept.

"Mister Raylan?" A voice called out to him from the rear. The man in question glanced over his shoulder to see the woman from before walking just behind him, Bell. She looked at him a bit nervously as if waiting for permission to join him for a conversation.

He smiled at her, pushing his other worries to the side, "Yeah, Bell? Need something?"

Taking his words as an invitation Bell quickened her pace to reach his side, "No, no, I don't need anything in particular. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit." Her tone was quiet, shy, just as before when she'd approached him after his little battle with the abyss monster.

"Alright, well talking beats just walkin', what do you want to talk about?" Raylan asked, honestly grateful for the brief distraction. She joined him by his side, both keeping a steady pace beside each other.

"Well, I was hoping to talk about you, get to know more about you?" She said in a questioning tone, as if unsure if what she was asking was acceptable or not. "I- I just want to get to know more about the m- man who saved us." She stammered slightly, which was made rather cute when she looked at the ground in frustration. Likely scolding herself for the cute stutter.

Raylan smiled softly, "I don't see anything wrong with that so sure, why not? But in exchange, you tell me a bit about yourself. Sound fair?"

Bell brushed a stray hair behind her ear as she smiled up at him, "That sounds more than fair!" She agreed wholeheartedly before continuing, "But I must admit that I'm not that interesting."

"I'm sure there'll be plenty I find interesting about you, you'd be surprised." He smiled at her, "You can go first and ask your questions. So what do you want to know about me? I'll answer as best I can."

Bell went silent for a moment, Raylan guessed she was considering which question she should start with, and what kind of questions she wanted to ask.

"Where are you from?" She eventually asked with a curious chirp.

"Should have expected that question." He thought. Raylan wasn't exactly from Teyvat, but he could lie about it if he wanted to, but he figured it was better to keep some truth to it.

"If I'm honest, I'm actually not from anywhere in particular." He said, answering the young lady's question. "I'm not from any of the nations of Teyvat," The young god paused to consider his wording, "The place I'm from isn't actually too far from the Abyss, except it's far more isolated. It doesn't have a name, never really needed one to be honest." That was probably the best way to describe the Interspatial Void Realm that he called home for the last one hundred years. "I've lived there for most of my life." He added.

Not a bad cover story, he'd have to keep that one in mind in the future if anyone ever asked.

Raylan glanced at his companion to see her face scrunched up in thought, clearly trying to understand what he meant.

"Try not to think too hard about it, it'll get confusing if you do," Raylan said, drawing Bell's attention back to him. "Just assume I'm from a land where the Abyss and its magic is highly… prevalent."

An understatement for sure considering his home was literally made of fucking Void energy.

"That must be quite dangerous though. I've never heard of anyone being able to survive being near the Abyss, yet you make it sound easy."

Raylan shrugged it off, "Not really." He responded, "Even if it was arduous to live in or by the Abyss I could probably handle myself for the most part. I wasn't alone there, I shared the space with a friend after all."

Bell seemed to concede to the idea for now but the way her brows furrowed in thought was rather cute. Raylan suppressed a chuckle at the image of it. Her shyness seemed to disappear the more questions she asked.

Bell dropped that line of thought quickly enough in favor of asking her next question.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" She asked, gesturing with her hand in the direction they had walked from some time ago. Obviously, she meant his battle with the abyss monster from earlier.

"A friend taught me, the same one that asked me to come here." Raylan answered honestly, "But I'm also self-taught in a lot of ways. It took many years of training but by the end of it? Well, you saw the results for yourself."

"Ah, yes, it was i-incredible to witness." She stammered, that was twice she called his display incredible. "But what about the elemental magic you used? I've never seen anything like that before!"

Raylan chuckled as he scratched his cheek, "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't. It's a power unique to me I suppose, nobody can wield that kind of power like I can."

"Really?" She asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"Yep," He confirmed, popping the p as he said it. "It's called Void, it's a power drawn from the Abyss itself."

The young woman gasped, covering her mouth momentarily before lowering it to just above her chest. "Y-you can wield abyss magic?!" She asked in a hushed tone as if disbelieving of what she had just heard. "H-how? I've heard mages of the royal court of Khaenri'ah have been trying to do that for centuries!"

"Didn't know that tib-bit." Raylan thought before turning to Bell with a playful smirk, "Well what can I say? I'm not just your average magic user, I'm something… a bit more than that."

"I'll say." She said in a breathless whisper before realizing she said that louder than she had wanted to, she turned to the young god with a furious embarrassed blush on her face, "I m-mean you're a really unique person is all! I've never heard of anyone who could do what you did! You don't even have a Vision!"

Raylan just chuckled at her awkwardness, "Ah, it's fine. Nearly everything I'm capable of is because of my friend, she taught me almost everything I know." Except for his martial arts of course. "I just took to my training and powers rather well, that's all."

"Oh," Bell responded with a raised brow, "Who is this friend of yours? You've mentioned this friend a few times. You both must be close if you're both doing so much for one another."

"Her name is Ista," Raylan was sure she'd pout at him if she ever heard that nickname. "She's the closest and oldest friend I have. I've known her most of my life, she helped train me to what I am today, and she helped me through a really bad day." He explained, "Once." Thinking back on their time together brought a small smile to the Abyss Gods face.

"She sounds like a good friend, you're lucky to have someone like that in your life," Bell said with a small genuine smile. "Where is she now?"

"She's off resting at the moment," He answered vaguely, "We agreed to meet up in the future once she's recovered her strength," Raylan explained carefully. "But enough about me, I want to know a bit about you. You're from Khaenri'ah, right? You said you had family there."

"I am, yes." Bell confirmed with a gentle nod, "My entire family was born and raised in Khaenri'ah, it was only two years ago when my parents and I moved. Mother and Father got a better job offering in Mondstadt so they took it."

"That must have been a new experience for you, did you enjoy it?"

Bell looked away from him with a small, shy smile. "It's a fantastic experience, I even traveled to Liyue on occasion to further my studies."

"Studies?" Raylan asked with a curious brow raise.

"Yes, I'm actually studying a-art." Bell explained, her shyness returning slightly. "I'm an aspiring artist."

"Really? What kind of art do you do?" Raylan asked, "Like paintings, drawings, or sculptures?"

"I've actually learned all those arts from various mentors since I was a child," Bell replied, "I've been pursuing the arts since I was young." A faint pink hue colored the young woman's cheeks, as she began playing with the trinket on her wrist. "I've always loved arts of all styles, but paintings and murals are what I want to learn the most."

Raylan suppressed a chuckle. "She must be embarrassed when it comes to talking about her passions." He thought before he gave the woman a playful nudge. "Having studied since you were a kid I imagine you must have some talent for art, right?"

Bell flushed a shade redder, "I-I'm nothing special, I'm still c-coming into my own." Bell argued, now attempting to hide her face by turning away from the warrior beside her. "I have to f-find my own style first." She continued to fiddle with the trinket, which Raylan noticed once again with a small, cheeky smile.

"I'm sure you'll find your footing in no time, all you'll need is the right inspiration, you know?" Raylan said, "What is it you want to do with your art exactly?"

Bell hummed, "Well, I want to be able to live off my art. Maybe one day open an art gallery for all my art pieces," She told him, "But most of all I want to create something that can inspire others!" The young woman's voice was full of passion as she said those words.

Raylan said nothing in response as he glanced her way, instead letting her continue her speech. Her shyness gone when speaking about a passion of hers.

"When I was little I remember seeing an art show with my parents," Bell continued, her hand drifted toward her chest, hovering over her heart as she spoke. "There was one piece that just spoke to me, a beautiful piece that depicted a snowscape in the mountains, a winter wonderland. Deep within the picture stood a small village painted white, covered in snow. The painting was of a real location during an extremely rare snowstorm. It was said the artist was raised in that village, and that he took up the paintbrush so that he could capture the village, his home, in the snow to preserve its rare beauty. Apparently, it was rare for it to snow in the village, some saying the village hadn't seen snow in over twenty years."

Bell sighed softly, a fond smile on her lips. "The artist wanted to share something beautiful with the world, something few would ever get to see and witness. His village in a snowstorm was so enchanting to him that he took up painting, the scenery had inspired him to become an artist." The young lady's tone was so wistful, so charmed, as she spoke, "I hope to one day do the same. To create an art piece as unique, beautiful, and inspiring to others as that one was to me. That painting helped push me forward in life, I want people to feel the same way about my own work."

Raylan allowed a peaceful silence to form for a moment, "That's a beautiful goal to have Bell. It speaks volumes about you, your passion, and your heart." He said with a gentle smile, "I believe you'll find the right inspiration one day. Something spectacular that it'll inspire various emotions in people, and they too will be grateful for it one day." He chuckled, "Mark my words, that day will come."

Bell looked stunned at his words, holding both her hands above her chest as she stared at him in mild wonder. There was a sparkle to her eyes after his little speech.

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Raylan." She replied with a small bow, her voice wavering slightly as she spoke. "It means a lot to hear that from someone."

"Glad I could help." Raylan gestured to Bell's wrist, continuing his series of questions. "What's that little trinket on your wrist?" He asked, "It looks handcrafted, with a personal touch. That have something to do with your art studies?"

"Hmm?" Bell, startled that he'd noticed her bracelet, and still recovering from his words, looked at it before holding it up for Raylan to see it better. "Y-you mean my bracelet? This is a family tradition of mine," She explained, displaying the trinket for him to see. "It started with my great grandparents. They handmade a piece for each of their kids, whether that be a band, bracelet, or necklace. They would teach their children to do the same for their own kids one day, stating that these were gifts given to family to show closeness. Each one is unique, no two are the same." She glanced at her own, twisting her wrist to get another look at it. "These trinkets signify that someone is a part of our family, or at the very least, important to the family in some way. Mine was given to me by my mother, and one day I'll give them to my own kids."

"Ha!" Raylan laughed, "That sounds like a lovely tradition to have, I've never heard of something like that before." He'd heard of gifts to their kids obviously, but specifically, making trinkets like this? That was new.

Her bracelet was made using metals blended together, twisted together like a rope. Copper and silver complimented one another, with several white stones lodged into the treads of the bracelet. On four of the stones, the letters B.E.L.L were engraved onto its surface.

For a handmade item, it was quite detailed and well-made.

"Every generation since has done this, so it simply became a tradition passed down between parents and their kids." Said the young woman, "I look forward to the day I can make one."

"Hey, given your artist nature I'm sure you'll make something special," Raylan reassured her.

Bell went silent for a moment, a thought coming to her mind about her family trinkets. She didn't ask another question.

The two fell into silence as Bell continued to fiddle with her bracelet, deep in thought about something. Raylan didn't attempt to break her concentration seeing as she kept her eyes on her bracelet. Twenty-two seconds after the silence began, Bell broke it.

"Raylan," She began, pulling his attention to her, "I need to do something for a moment, promise when we get to Khaenri'ah you won't leave without saying goodbye."

"Uh, sure." Raylan agreed casually, "I'll say goodbye before we go our separate ways."

Satisfied, Bell nodded and smiled to herself, "Good. I'll be back in a bit." With that Bell went off to the back of the wagon and jumped up into it, disappearing behind the cloth canopy leaving Raylan to his own devices.

…

…

"Well alright."

/_\

The convoy continued its journey to Khaenri'ah, with Raylan marching alongside it. Nobody else tried to speak with him, instead focusing on the trek to the city. Honestly, he was grateful for it because it gave the god a chance to think, to plan.

To figure out what he could do for Khaenri'ah and its people.

"Regardless, I'm starting a fight with the gods. But could I convince the Archons to stop? To leave?" Raylan asked himself, quickly coming to a sad conclusion. "Unlikely, with the Sustainer around they wouldn't turn back because of me. Hell, they might stick around just to kill me. I'm not exactly a legitimate Archon in the eyes of Teyvat and I'm an Outworlder from another world. Celestia might want me eliminated because of that."

As much as Raylan liked the Archons as characters in Genshin Impact, they wouldn't listen to him for no reason. They went to Khaenri'ah ready for war, and war is what they got. It was their decision to come to Khaenri'ah in the first place, it didn't matter if they regretted it later.

And it was a fair assumption to make about himself. He was the Archon of the Abyss, a place Celestia tried to keep sealed away. His existence was an insult to the Gods of Celestia, as a God of the Abyss. Opposites to one another.

And given his level of power he wasn't exactly harmless either, Raylan was a god so he could easily start fights with other gods, possibly even killing them. That was a threat to Celestia and its throne.

Raylan groaned, "I don't exactly have many options besides just winning, do I?"

And given the odds, that was easier said than done.

"Everyone!" A voice called out from the wagon, pulling Raylan from his not-so-helpful thoughts. His attention was drawn to the wagon, the one holding the reins had been the one to call everyone. "We're almost to Khaenri'ah, it's just over the crest of that hill!" The man said, pointing in the direction of a hill in the distance along their path.

Everyone else gave a small cheer in celebration at the news, having finally neared their destination, but the Abyss Warrior wasn't so enthusiastic.

Raylan drew in a breath, "Nearly there." He thought to himself, "I hope I have some time to figure this all out before the Archons and their armies arrive because if I'm thrown at them with no thought behind it I'm fucked."

The convoy continued along their route, with a few of the civilians busying themselves with the goods they were sorting out in the back of the wagon. Bell too was still inside, having not returned for some time now.

It was only another ten minutes before the convoy began climbing the hill. It wasn't steep but it was a long hill that stretched on for a bit. A long, gentle incline that the wagon and its horses could ascend easily enough.

As Raylan reached the crest of the hill he stopped dead in his tracks. There before him was a sight he never thought he'd ever get to see during his last one hundred years.

The Kingdom of Khaenri'ah.

It was an incredible city to see from where he stood. The city itself was big, the buildings were familiar to the ruins of ancient cities in the game. It was said that Khaenri'ah and other Kingdoms like Enkanomiya were quite advanced in technology, and it was safe to say it was true.

Khanri'ah reminded him of ancient Greece in a way, but also Rome and Constantinople all mixed into one. The greek theme was most prevalent with its colors, designs, its pillars, archways, and building style. But he also saw what looked like an aqueduct that transported, likely fresh, water across the cityscape.

But it was also very steampunk in nature, with its use of metal and more advanced structure types supported by metal beams. It was a strange mix to see from a distance, and it would likely be even stranger when inside the city itself.

They weren't far either, another ten minutes and they'd reach the city's gate or border crossing. Despite the distance, the young god could still make out large moving bodies, ones he recognized as Ruin Guards, patrolling the city walls alongside normal, human soldiers.

But he also spotted the signs of previous engagements, with craters and scorch marks scarring the surrounding landscape of the Kingdom. The guards and machines must have fought other abyss monsters in the recent past, it made sense for that to be the case.

This was during the Cataclysm when abyss monsters from the depths terrorized the nations of Teyvat. Golds' creatures only exacerbated the problem, weakening the kingdom, before it was obliterated by the Archons and the Sustainer.

Despite the flaws outside, the city, the Kingdom itself was an incredible sight to see.

It was truly breathtaking to see.

But the sight also made his heart clench at the harsh reminder of what was to come.

"Are you alright, Mr. Raylan?" A voice, one Raylan knew was Bell, asked, bringing the young Archon back to reality. He turned to the woman as she watched him from within the confines of the wagon's rear, having pulled back the cloth to look at him.

"Yeah, yeah," Raylan responded, attempting to reassure her with a small, but strained smile. "It's just my first time visiting Khaenri'ah, the view of the kingdom was just so… mesmerizing, you know?" The young god began moving again to keep pace with the wagon.

Bell beamed at him, seeming to take pride in his reaction. "It really is, isn't it? I hope to one day paint the kingdom-scape to better preserve its beauty forever. To honor my homeland and place of birth."

Her words stung, knowing what was to come only made it worse for the Abyss Archon.

"I'm sure you will do it the justice it deserves," Raylan said, nodding in the woman's direction. He had to suppress the grimace that threatened to break out across his face at the imagery of a destroyed Khaenri'ah in the game.

Not only had the city been destroyed, but the destruction of the surrounding area was horrifying. The land itself would split apart in the ensuing chaos, leaving behind ruins likely worse than Enkanomiya.

It was heartbreaking to think this Kingdom would face a similar fact, and its people a far worse one. Its beauty tarnished forever, reduced to a long-forgotten memory.

Bell, ignorant to Raylans' inner thoughts, continued to shine that whimsical smile his way. "One day I hope you'll get to see for yourself then, I want to know if it'll compare to the real thing."

"Yeah," Raylan said, fist clenching out of Bell's view, "I hope to see it one day too."

The young woman looked at him for a moment longer before disappearing back into the wagon to work on whatever it is she was working on, leaving Raylan to compose himself.

As the wagon continued to move, the young god lagged behind for a moment.

His eyes drifted between the people walking alongside the convoy and the Kingdom of Khaenri'ah itself.

He hadn't known the people for long or even arrived at the city yet, but he still couldn't help but feel a sting of pain in his heart again. This city, this home to so many innocent people, was wiped off the map over the course of a day, its people, people like Bell and her family, killed or cursed to live as abyss monsters or hillichurls.

It was a disgusting injustice to imagine it, especially after his conversation with Bell.

Although Raylan knew that some of those in Khaenri'ah that likely deserved to die, such as the Royalty and its uncaring alchemists for how they created monsters that invaded the rest of Teyvat, causing havoc and destruction everywhere they went. The population at large were just civilians who lived like people from any other nation of Teyvat would. They deserved to live, but many were caught in the crossfire or, in the case of the guards, merely wanted to protect their home out of a sense of loyalty to it and its people.

Where was the fault in that?

Raylan closed his eyes and sucked in a breath.

"I promise I will fight to my last breath to save as many people as I can." The God vowed to himself, opening his eyes as they narrowed in on the Kingdom ahead.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Raylan followed after the wagon, quickening his pace enough to catch up in only a few seconds. If they were quick, they'd be there in under ten minutes.

Soon Raylan would reach the Kingdom of Khaenri'ah, the Pride of Humanity.

/_\

The other seven nations had nothing on the border guards of Khaenri'ah. Not only were their soldiers, armed with standard weapons as expected, but there were also several Ruin Guards standing nearby awaiting orders to destroy anything deemed a threat. The things towered over the people around them, it was amazing to see these machines up close like this without them trying to kill you. The fact that none of the civies with the convoy didn't bat an eye also said a lot about them, like they were just a part of everyday life here.

Raylan decided he'd just stay off to the side, at the edge of the group seeing as he wasn't really a part of it.

"Halt!" One of the guards yelled, likely the highest rank guard here, as he approached the convoy flanked by several guards on either side. Although all the guards wore the same armor, the man, who looked to be middle-aged, leading the others didn't wear a helmet and instead had a red pauldron on his right shoulder.

"State your business here!" He said as he approached the driver of the wagon. "And prepare to have your goods searched if necessary!"

The driver of the wagon was the one who replied, "We're just people returning to visit family, we bring some goods to trade and sell as well." He gestured to the back of the wagon with one arm as he brought out documents about their visitation, "You can search the wagon if you like."

The guard nodded to one of his subordinates to do just that.

"Everyone returning to visit family will be permitted," Said the guard, but his head turned to Raylan with narrowed eyes, "But who is he? The Outsider."

A few of the group, as well as a few of the guards, turned to Raylan. The young warrior stood his ground though, unperturbed by the attention thrown his way. He was about to speak before the driver beat him to it.

"He's our protection detail," He said, "We were attacked by an abyss monster on our way here when we were saved by this young man," The driver waved an arm Raylans' way. "We hired him as a mercenary to protect what remained of our convoy till we reached Khaenri'ah."

Raylan didn't bat an eye at the story the driver told but he appreciated the fact he lied and said he'd been hired instead of just volunteering as protection. He at least had a reason to stay with them since they would likely have to pay him for his work.

A good excuse to enter the city with.

Many of the guards started whispering to one another at the mention of abyss monsters, but the captain of the unit didn't seem fazed. He merely huffed at the story.

"He saved you from an abyss monster?" The guard rolled his eyes, clearly disbelieving of the fact some random merc could best an abyss creature. "Fine, so be it. As long as you have no illegal goods you all may enter the city." At the moment the subordinate he'd ordered to examine the wagon returned.

"It's all clear, sir." The young-ish sounding guard said as he returned to his position beside his comrades.

With a nod, the captain accepted his man's word, "Alright, you may all enter the city and go about your business!" The captain turned and pointed at Raylan with the tip of his spear, "You behave yourself within this kingdom, am I clear?"

"Crystal, boss man," Raylan replied with a tilt of the head, a lazy smile, and a thumbs up for good measure.

Shocker, the Captain just glared at the young warrior but otherwise did nothing. The guards moved aside as the convoy entered the city streets.

Upon entering the city Raylan was given a clear view of the streets, its buildings, and the people going about their daily lives. The sights and smells of a new city were enchanting. Each street Raylan looked down had different stores, amazingly a rare kind of shop he came across were stores run by alchemists.

Given the prevalence of the Art of Khemia that shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was. To see how the alchemists used the Khemia to create various goods in exchange for Mora. Right before the customers' eyes they would make a table, or coat rack like it was an everyday occurrence.

It was unlikely they knew anything beyond the basics, creating life and abyss monsters were the products of the higher-up alchemists. People like Gold.

As Raylan took in the sights the convoy he was following eventually came to a stop.

The young god turned to see the people unloading the wagon, with each person taking whatever goods that belonged to them. There were a few exchanges of gratitude between them, some Mora was even traded, but otherwise, everyone prepared to depart and go their separate ways.

Raylan watched as Bell's father, and the driver of the wagon, two middle-aged men, approached him.

"We can't thank you enough for what you did for my family, sir." Bells' father began as he extended his hand for a handshake, which Raylan met. The two shook hands as the driver spoke.

"You're a hero for what you did, young man." The driver complimented as he shook Raylans' hand after Bells' father finished his. "We're in your debt."

Raylan chuckled awkwardly, "Ah, don't worry about it. I was only doing what was right."

The driver scoffed, "What is right, he says! Slaying an abyss monster is a bit more than just doing what is right. Hehe!"

"And then heal everyone in the aftermath," Bells' father added. "I thought we were going to lose her, my wife, but then you came along," The man put a hand on Raylans' shoulder, "If you ever need anything, anything at all, we'll be sure to give it to you. Remember that."

The young god rubbed the back of his neck at the praise and gratitude he was receiving, "I'll keep that in mind, thanks."

As the two finished with their thanks, others from the convoy moved in to give Raylan their own praise.

For what felt like a full two minutes, each of the civilians he'd saved thanked him for what he'd done, many of them wishing him the best and that if they ever met again they would repay their debt to him. It didn't matter if he told them they didn't owe him or not, they all refuted his dismissal of his own actions.

They all said they wouldn't forget what he'd done for them.

As everyone finished relaying their thanks and gratitude to him he noticed Bell standing off to the side with her hands behind her back, waiting somewhat nervously for everyone else to finish speaking to him.

Once the others walked off in differing directions, and Bells' father went to tend to her still-recovering mother, Bell finally approached him.

"Made it to Khaenri'ah in one piece," Raylan started with a small smirk, "Kept my promise, right?"

Bell smiled gently at him, "You did." She agreed, "And I want to thank you for it." As she said those words she pulled her hands out from behind her back and presented him with a little trinket held in her hands.

"Is that-?" Raylan began before being interrupted.

"It is," Bell confirmed, "It's a band I made for you since you were asking about my bracelet before. It's my way of thanking you for saving us, for saving my mother." She reached across and pulled his right hand up between them. She put the band around his wrist before letting his hand go.

Raylan took a moment to examine the band. Handcrafted, and obviously made of parts she found in the wagon, it was still a touching gesture and quite pretty to look at. The band was made of two intertwined pieces of rope, wrapped in a violet-purple cloth, with a metallic silver band weaved in and out of the treads. The final touch was a small, beautiful black feather attached to one side of the band.

He didn't forget what the band represented either.

A genuine smile formed on Raylans' face, "Thank you Bell, this is the first gift I've ever been given like this."

"For what you did, you deserve it." She replied, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. "You will always be a friend of our family for what you've done, we'll never forget that."

The two smiled at each other before a voice called out, pulling the pair's attention back toward the wagon.

"Bell!" Her father called, "Come help your mother whilst I grab our things!" He said as he went about collecting various items from the back of the wagon. Bells' mother sat on a small crate nearby, watching her daughter and husband.

"Time to go it seems." Raylan said as he glanced back to Bell, "Take care of yourself, alright? Remember what I said about getting out of Khaenri'ah fast."

"I will," She nodded, "I hope one day we'll meet again on better terms."

"Agreed."

"Till then, take care!" The young woman said with a wave before turning to dart toward the rest of her family.

Raylan watched for a moment longer as Bell helped her mother stand, intertwining their arms to better support her. The father hauled their belongings onto his shoulders before they all moved to leave, heading down a street before disappearing into the crowd a couple of seconds later.

Alone again, Raylan turned his attention back to the city of Khaenri'ah. The cityscape stretched on in all directions.

Raylan had to figure out what his next move would be, and how he'd go about protecting the city from its impending disaster but his attention flickered as his elemental sense burst to life.

A sudden emergence of abyss energy within the city.

Raylans' brow furrowed for a moment in concern before his focus swiftly shifted, a terrifying monstrous roar echoed from deeper within the city followed by a flash of fire in the sky above the buildings. All the people in the streets stopped to watch before many began to panic, some screamed whilst others began running further away from the source of the chaos.

Raylan though recognized the roar, as it had sounded eerily familiar to the one from the abyss monster he'd slain not too long ago. The young god didn't hesitate as he made for a dash in the direction of the noise, moving against the fleeing crowds.

If an abyss monster was loose in the city, he was going to kill it before it caused too much chaos. Khaenri'ah already faced a dark future, he wouldn't allow anything else to happen to it before then.

Unbeknownst to Raylan, slaying a raging abyss monster in the city would change little.

For fate was approaching faster than anyone could anticipate.

Soon it would be time for him to face the wrath of the Gods, and see if he could truly change fate.

C4: End.

Just so people know I will be scaling up the nations, populations, and Teyvat itself. Obviously. So the cities are bigger, more populated, and more spread to the point it doesn't only take fucking minutes in-game to travel between nations on foot. (Not that Raylan will be walking everywhere when he has the teleport waypoints, lol.)

Regardless, I'm sure some of you will see this as a slow chapter, not much happens in it, but I needed some character interactions with Bell. (And no, there aren't any feelings between them, just newly found friends) You'll see why later I needed to expand on her later. But we're here! Khaenri'ah is here!

And soon shit will hit the fan in the next chapter!

I'll likely make several edits to the chapter within the coming weeks. Some dialogue changes, or the removal/addition of a detail, etc. The usual.

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Review Response(s):

DeathlyJazzHands55: I'll try break that cliche to make Raylan a character of his own, only time will tell if I succeed in that regard. I was inspired by the idea of a God from Abyss rising up to challenge Celestia, but then I thought why not make it an Isekai too? I might consider doing another Genshin story where a God of the Abyss rises in opposition to Celestia who forms alliances and creates an army to overthrow the throne. We'll see if that ever happens. Never had someone called something I created "based" before, so thank you. Well, seeing the results so far I would say your vote for the other options still hold weight. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, even if it was just build-up.

8GoKey40th: I too hate the sages, my friend.

desropter: We'll have to see what he can do in the upcoming war.

HeavenlyDragonGod: I hope Khaenri'ah was a good twist for everyone reading.

Chirriro: Their reactions might be a ways out seeing as there is war on the table.

butterynutt69: (lol - What a name.) Another chapter made. Enjoy.

runelt99: You'll have to wait and see what Raylan achieves then. It might surprise everyone how things turn out.

Sulzi: 10 Star Review - lol. Thanks!

Caelum Est Finis: I hope my story continues to meet your standards. I'll issue spoiler warnings for a while longer but soon people should realize I will spoil things. True, but I feel like the freedom to move is important in a story. Not to mention the fact that Raylan can change and influence things given enough time. The story the Traveler will face will be different because Raylan already there changing things. It'll give the story a different feel. I think Lumine would be quite bold too, but I can imagine her being the fun type too. At this point it's a race between Mondstadt and Sumeru as to where the story starts. Both have their benefits, and regardless of which one wins the second destination would be the runner-up. Thanks for the review and for reading my story!

harisnorw: Well, you'll find out soon enough what he manages to do.

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Another chapter complete, hope you all enjoyed it. See you all in the next chapter during the shit show heading the MCs way.

Merry Christmas to all, and have a Happy New Year!

Till next time - Peace!

AlcatrazDGold - Signing off!