Author's Notes for Chapter 2:
Hello again ladies and gentlemen and welcome back to our little play. Before we begin this chapter we felt that we should reach out and say thank you all so much for all of the reviews and kudos that this work has been given, it means a great deal to us.
With that out of the way it is time for us to continue our little play. We hope to make this act a bit shorter than the previous one, but knowing how concise we are…there is a better chance of someone devising a cure for stupidity than us actually making this one shorter lol.
We also feel that we should state that we have discovered now why success is often called a double edged blade, as now we have the weight of making each chapter as good or potentially even better than the last upon our shoulders. But for the sake of something that we quite enjoy writing, it is a weight we will gladly shoulder, although we doubt our ability to truly bear it.
We can only hope that we can live up to your enjoyment and praise and make this story as good as possible.
With all of that said let us begin this act.
Chapter 2: Step 2: Tend to the Bird's injuries, make sure proper care is given so as to avoid infection or further harm.
Pain was nothing new to Kujou Sara. It had in fact been a companion of hers her entire life. From the first time she fell from a great height and broke her wings, to the first time she was lashed for biting at the Kujou clan members, to the first time she had pulled an arrow from her shoulder in the war, pain had always been there by her side, a toxic miasma that clung to her very being.
And so perhaps it was fitting that it was pain that currently held absolute rule of her senses.
For it was pain that was all Kujou Sara's world had devolved into as the aches and chills of infection tore through her body. It was the name of the ocean whose waves of nausea had left her unable to hold down anything even semi-solid in nature as she writhed on her futon, desperately trying to avoid aggravating the wounds that wept pus and the foul fluids of infection mixed with blood that adorned her back from where she had been injured.
Pain was the name of the wind whose frigid claws made her curl into a ball even as vomit and bile flowed from her lips, heedless of the filth clinging to her skin as she so desperately sought even a modicum of warmth against the cold which rivaled that of Snezhnaya's own arctic chill as it tore through her trembling frame.
Pain was the name of the beast that rumbled and growled in her stomach as she tried to force herself to choke down the food that was laid in her room by the staff. It was the beast that forced her to drag herself across the floor towards where the food had been set near the door as any attempt at walking had only led to her doubling over in agony from a combination of chills and aching wounds. It was likewise the beast which spat out the food she tried to eat, tearing and thrashing in her stomach in a blind hunger fueled rage which nothing seemed fit to satisfy.
Pain was the sibling to humiliation, the humiliation she felt as she laid there, writhing in her own filth as her wounds began to weep more and more all the while knowing that it was her own fault for allowing this to happen.
For surely she could have done something to avoid irritating her wounds as she tried to wrap the bandages around herself for none of her clan wished to risk getting her blood upon their skin. Perhaps if she had just been a bit more flexible then she would not have torn open one of the healing wounds and none of this would have begun.
It was both pain and humiliation that lashed at her with poisoned whips of delirium and fever as she writhed in shame from having not been able to put the soothing ointment that her shogun's healers had given her onto her wounds by herself. The delirium searing through her mind and driving all else away but an endless hum of a choir of misery as she, much to her shame, wept and cried out as the nightmares, fevered mess they were, robbed her of her ability to sleep and rest as her lady had so wished her to do so.
Yet another shameful failure on her part for having not been able to follow even that most simple of orders, and this delirium was her due punishment in her eyes.
It was the fell lash of pain which made her drag her way to the shrine she had so painstakingly arranged and maintained for her archon, splinters lodging themselves into her fingertips as she drug herself across the floor. And likewise, it was its kin in humiliation which wracked her body as bile and vomit tore from her lips forming into a puddle before the shrine she knelt before.
She cried out pleas for forgiveness for this disgraceful state of being from the Almighty Shogun, as she forced her fevered mind to be still enough to pray that she might redeem herself for this failure in some way.
It was pain that robbed her of the sense of time passing by, ensuring that every second felt as long as an hour and every hour as long as a day as she tried and failed to keep from laying on her back, which only caused blinding pain to tear up her spine when weeping gashes and burns met hardwood, and yet likewise avoid laying on her front for fear of drowning in a puddle of her own bile.
It was pain which made her wings unfurl when a particularly violent chill tore through her frame and made her back arch and strike the wood of her futon in just such a way that her wings unfurled, her lips parting in a silent shriek of agony as her pain only grew when still mending flesh and nerves touched hardwood and broken bowls and plates.
She knew not how long she had lain there with naught but her own anguish and misery as her companions, only that it must have been for as long as the eternity which her archon sought for surely it could have been nothing less.
But one day there came a break from the pain, a relief from the anguish, as her ears, ringing and aching from fever and feeling full of something which she dared not ponder the nature of, registered the sound of voices beyond her door.
Oh she so desperately wished to raise her own and to call out for help, but alas she knew well that it was an impossibility for her to do so, for her throat ached and cried with every breath she took and besides, she knew well that her clan were keeping her under isolation in fear of infection leading to illness and that illness spreading through their already weakened numbers.
She did not fault them for their decision, for they only had so much medicine to spare amongst their own number, and seeking more from the Shogun or from the government could well be seen as a slight in part of the arrogance of those who had contributed so much to the suffering of the people seeking some form of aid from those they had wronged before their god had truly punished them for their mistakes.
She could understand their logic well, for surely there was no need to waste what they had on one who had always pulled through when she had fallen ill or been injured and been left to tend to herself before.
Yet she could not fully crush the desire to call out for help, for some form of relief from this pain and so, without her approval, her aching throat gave life to a sound which made her wince from how pathetic it sounded to her own ears.
She was so lost amidst her own pain-filled thoughts that she did not fully register the sounds beyond her door until it had been thrown open, and footsteps hurried to where she lay.
She dared not to open her eyes for fear of the light searing them and making lances of white hot agony, greater than any of the Delusion enhanced attacks her father had landed upon her during their battle or the blows which the deranged Harbinger had scored upon her after she had claimed one of his eyes with one of her arrows, tear through her anew.
Yet she swore that she so faintly recognized the voices which were oh so near to her, and that the cloying scent of ozone and the soothing sweet smell of sakura petals was so achingly familiar to her that she could name who they belonged to if only her mind was not so wrought with delirium.
She kept her eyes closed still when hands, oh so gentle and so cool against her flushed skin, began to stroke her filt slick skin and brush aside her oily and matted hair as they so gently ghosted over her cheeks and forehead.
She wanted to tell the one touching her to go. To flee, for they ran the risk of contracting whatever illnesses could be spread from an infected tengu to a normal person the longer they remained near her, and yet her words were never spoken as she was lifted off of her futon before she could give life to them.
She felt herself be pulled flush against robes that were so wonderfully cool and soft against her flushed skin that she fought the urge to nuzzle into them and never leave their soothing embrace as she was cradled by lithe and yet oh so powerful arms that were so careful to avoid agitating her wounds and wings as they held her close.
She had barely been able to register a fading conversation before she felt a sensation that left the hairs on her arms and legs standing on end as her world contracted to a pinprick for a split second before emerging into fullness an instant later, the smell of ozone hanging heavily in the air all the while.
Her mind reeled as she felt whoever held her move at speeds beyond what even the swiftest anemo vision bearer could have never hoped to achieve as they tore down what felt to be a hallway, soothing words and sounds leaving their lips as they maneuvered to their destination. And, though she could not quite understand them, the feeling behind the words made her racing heart calm a bit and her mind relaxed a little bit, as a sensation of security draped over her like a blanket.
She was able to register the sound of a door being torn free from where it had been closed as the one who was holding her began to below words that she could not understand to what sounded to be a small group of others who began to move about in great haste and frenzy, before a great and terrible roar drowned out all other sound and tinnitus once more claimed her hearing.
As her ears rang she could hear nothing but could register the feeling of being laid upon a cool and soft bed on her front and the sensation of gloved hands pulling free her filth caked clothes as damp cool rags graced her skin
She knew not how long she laid there, biting back whimpers and cries as hydro soaked rags were used to wipe away the filth that caked her body so that her wounds were bare for all to see.
She swore she felt the room begin to quake as the scent of ozone grew to such intensities that she could smell it quite clearly despite her sinuses, and yet she knew not if it was a product of fever or an actual occurrence and so she remained still.
It was as she whimpered as her wounds were cleaned so carefully and gently so that ointments and balms could be placed onto them, special care being given to her wings which were touched with such softness it made her want to whimper, and what she could only guess to be medicines that, despite their bitterness, were somehow the sweetest and most pleasant tasting ones she had ever tasted in her life, were given to her, and then what her addled mind registered to be clean and soft bandages were wrapped around her body, that she registered that the presence which had brought her such a sense of security had moved to sit beside her and take her hand into their own.
The feeling of the cool and oh so smooth skin made her let out a low whine at just how wonderful it felt against her still heated flesh, the sound seeming to prompt the one who cradled her hand into action as she soon felt her head lifted and laid onto something that was so wonderfully soft and smelled so good that she soon felt herself beginning to drift off into the first blissful rest she had been graced with in days, the medicines coursing through her system and the soothing sensation of dexterous fingers lovingly stroking her scalp aiding her descent into blissful slumber.
Line Break
Miko did not know how long she sat there, her fingers absently threading through still oily locks of ebony hair as she hummed a lullaby that she had last sung well over a century ago to a much different woman who had clung to her with her face buried in her lap as tears streamed from her eyes as she wept for the loss of her sister.
As her fingers slowly massaged the young tengu's scalp she noted the way that the woman nuzzled deeper into her lap with a low groan of bliss leaving her lips and felt her own heart swell with pride at the knowledge that the young woman found her presence soothing enough to drift off to sleep with her head on her lap.
Absently Miko twirled one of the locks of oily ebony hair around her finger and scowled slightly as she looked down at the woman who, though having been wiped clean with dampened rags but a little while ago, still was in truly desperate need of a bath after so long laying amongst her own filth, and felt the resolve that once the balms had dried she would ensure the young woman was let to soak for as long as she wished swell in her.
Until then she would just have to make do with what she had on hand to her, as she reached over to a basin of cool water and the towel that lay near it so that she might begin gently wiping the young woman's hair down.
Miko had to fight the urge to let out a pleased yip as she noted the tengu absently trying to follow after the warmth of her hand and it's soothing fingers even as she laid in peaceful slumber. The little bird was simply so precious even in circumstances as unfavorable as this that it made the miko's heart swell with warmth and longing anew.
She could not keep the smile off of her face however as she beamed down at the young woman as she gently took the damp cloth from the basin and began to slowly and gently wipe down the oily locks with one hand as another took its place and began to lightly stroke Sara's scalp, softly carding her fingers through damp hair and eliciting pleased groans from the slumbering woman as she did so much to her pleasure. As she rinsed Sara's hair the found herself resuming her humming of that ancient lullaby with a loving smile on her face as she cleaned the young woman's hair.
Idly the miko entertained the idea that once her wounds had healed enough she might gather Ei and Raiden and take the young tengu to a bath and give her a proper cleaning, that is assuming the young woman had not awakened by that point in time. Or perhaps even if she had awakened the guuji might be able to persuade her to let the 3 of them give her some of the pampering she deserves as they spoiled her and-
Miko shook herself from her thoughts with a sigh as she looked down at the now damp hair, irritatingly there was still something of an oily sheen to it and so Miko wet the cloth again and began to apply a bit more force as she folded the rag and sandwiched the hair between the two folded halves of it, taking great care to not pull too hard so as to avoid causing any harm to the woman who lay asleep on her lap.
She didn't know just how long it took her to finally get the sheen of oil from the silken ebony locks that now shone with a faint dampness under the light of the candles that lit the room, only that it had evidently been long enough for her hand to have begun to grow somewhat wrinkled from constantly being submerged in the water of the bowl as she wet the cloth and for the bowl to have lost almost over half of the water that had been in it at the beginning. But regardless of the amount of time it took the end result was well worth it in the guuji's eyes as she saw the ebon locks free of the sheen of oil and of the filth that had stained the rag and the water in the bowl so much so that she had to have both replaced several times throughout the process.
Miko sighed as she gently threaded her fingers through the damp hair, absently soothing out knots and tangled masses of hair that would have made her go mad if they had formed in her own hair let alone the fur on her tails. Absently she clicked her tongue against her teeth as she called for one the healers to fetch a servant and tell them to bring her a hairbrush, the young man in question giving the sleeping tengu a sympathetic look as he brushed his hand through his own long hair as he went to find one of the servants.
As she waited for the servant to arrive with a hairbrush for the woman on her lap, Miko took the time to look over the tengu's wings and had to fight back a snarl at the state of them. Even after having been cleaned by the healers so that they could tend to the wounds that littered them as well as the wounds upon her back, they were still in an absolute mess of clumped together feathers and ointment slick wounds that made the Miko's heart ache as she gazed upon them.
Miko closed her eyes and took a breath to steady herself before she began to slowly drift the hand that was not stroking the young woman's scalp down to one of the upper wings so that she could begin to attempt to smooth out the masses of feathers that were stuck together, all the while she cursed under her breath at just how bad a state the ebony wings were truly in.
It could have been minutes or hours before she heard the healer that had left the room return with a brush in his hands, Miko did not know nor did she care as she slowly preened the wings of the young tengu who lay on her lap, low whimpers leaving Sara's lips when Miko's fingers drew far too near a wound as she worked to smooth the silken feathers out with each one of said whimpers making the kitsune have to fight back the spreading ache in her chest as she worked.
After the healer called out to her and handed her the brush the guuji gave him a thankful nod before she bid him to return to his duties as she shifted her attention from the young tengu's wings to her hair again, her desire to multitask and do both was crushed every time she tried to lift her hand only for the sleeping woman to chase after its warmth with a piteous whine leaving her lips as she did so.
Miko smiled softly as she sat there, one hand gently cupping the tengu's cheek and the other hand gently brushing the still somewhat damp ebony locks as carefully as she could in order to not cause the young woman any more pain as she slowly untangled the knots that had formed in her hair.
She did not know how long it was that she sat there brushing Sara's hair, but eventually she managed to smooth out the ebon locks such that when she lowered the brush and gently carded her fingers through the slick ebon locks she felt no tangled knots and could instead enjoy the sensation of her fingers gently carding through the silken locks.
Absently Miko entertained the thought of just how smooth the tengu's hair would be once they were able to get her a proper bath if it was this soft after having only been cleaned with water and a towel, and just how much she would enjoy carding her fingers through it as the young woman laid her head on her lap and rested.
Her musings were interrupted when she heard a crack of lightning tear through the silent stillness of the palace in some distant wing, her keen ears telling her of the faint sound of almost hysterical babbling accompanying Ei's appearance before it was silenced abruptly with the stillness returning for but a moment before again a crack of lightning echoed throughout the palace, although this time it was outside of the door to the medical ward that Miko and Sara were currently within.
Miko smiled softly as Ei opened the door, that she did not slam it into the wall with enough force to shatter both door and wall could be owed more to the idea of not wanting to disturb her injured general as opposed to her having calmed down as even as she strode into the room there burned in her eyes a violet light that heralded a thunderous fury that yet swirled within her.
Every step she took towards the two of them allowed for the glow in her eyes to dim somewhat as she took in the sight of her bandaged general, her hair still somewhat damp, resting with her head on the lap of her beloved miko, Raiden letting out a hum of delight of her own at the sight before them as they stopped before the two of them.
As they looked down at the two women before them they silently dismissed the healers with a wave of their shared hand as they closed their eyes and took a deep breath. Distantly the furious roars of thunder and the wrathful lashing of lightning began to become less frequent, and the rain began to likewise become less frequent leading to many feeling hope swell that the storm was nearing its end as Ei's eyes glowed with the effort she was exerting to restrain her fury.
A whimper left Sara's lips as she shifted but the slightest amount in her sleep and put pressure on a particularly sensitive part of her side that was near the edges of one of the bandaged gashes that adorned her back. The sound made Miko coo at the young woman as she shifted her back to the position she had been laying in before as she gently stroked her hair as she soothed her, and although she could not see Ei's face she could hear how the sound affected her.
For as the noise of the whimper reached her ears, Ei's eyes flashed and Raiden's own burned within Euthymia, and the storm descended anew.
Thunder roared in fury and lightning lashed upon the earth with such force that shockwaves emmenated from where they struck, trees and rocks that were near where they struck were flung into the air and cast aside with the crashing of their impacts upon the soaked earth being drowned out by the almighty crack of the very bolt that sent them flying. The rain flowed in such density that it appeared more as a solid wall of water being dropped down upon the island nation as opposed to any form of normal shower.
For several moments this continued until once more was Ei able to suppress the rage that sang out in a choir of malice and destruction within her veins, carried through her by the thunderous beating of her own heart that resonated in her ears far louder than any of the thunders roars or the lightnings cracks. Ei opened the eyes she had clenched tightly as she reigned herself in, her eyes now returned to their normal violet color as the storm once more was forced into something resembling submission. Raiden kept her own eyes closed within the mental plane as she yet felt the malice simmering in her veins and so she relied upon her ability to share her sight with Ei to take in what lay before them.
After several moments of remaining standing as she regained control of herself, Ei sat down beside her kitsune as she looked at her general with eyes filled with sorrow and guilt, for how could she have trusted a clan that had proven themselves to be untrustworthy with the life of one she held so dear to her after their previous leaders' stunt. How could she have put faith in them that had shown that the faith they so readily claimed to have for her was merely fair weather at best and near transparent at worst.
And now her general suffered because of her mistakes once again.
Outside the wind began to whip and howl faster its mournful cries nearly drowning out the faded roar of thunder which was further still drowned out amidst the torrent of rain that began to pour down from the heavens with such force that buildings began to shake as roofs seemed fit to collapse under the deluge that bore down on them from above. Distantly many thought that the fury and malice that had been present within the thunder and the wrath that had sang within the lightning which had resumed their symphony, albeit less frequently, had been replaced by a grief and despair that was perhaps far more terrifying than the malice that had sang within the choir of the storm but moment ago.
A slim finger reached over and lightly brushed away the tears that had begun to trail from her eyes as Miko lifted her hand from where it had been stroking Sara's hair, one a burning violet that crackled with electro energy and the other a radiant violet that though humming with electro power did not quite glow as brightly as the other orb did.
"Oh you two," came the soft voice of the kitsune as one of her tails materialized, breaking free of the spell that Miko used to conceal them so as to avoid getting them dirty, and wrapped itself around the archon's waist and gently pulled her to where she rested her head on her shoulder with Miko tilting her own head to where she was able to softly press her lips against Ei's own in a brief but loving kiss.
"It isn't either of your faults, you know that right?" Miko said as she rubbed her cheek against Ei's own for a moment as she tried to soothe her archon and her puppets aching hearts.
"But I…we let her," a finger gently placed itself over her lips as Miko met her gaze, simmering violet meeting tearful violet orbs as the kitsune leaned in and pressed her forehead against Ei's, another of her tails being let free to wrap around Sara's waist as she did so.
"You had no idea those…" Here Miko paused for a moment as even a mind and tongue as sharp as hers failed to call forth a fitting curse for the Kujou Clan and so instead she settled on letting out a snarl that reverberated through the room with such force it made the windows shake in their panes once more before she continued. "Would treat her in such a way, especially given the warnings they had been given. If anyone is at fault it is the Kujou Clan's own and the Kujou Clan's alone."
Ei opened her mouth to speak up again as new tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, and yet whatever words she would have spoken were cut off by Miko leaning in again to where her nose brushed against Ei's as she locked eyes with her before shifting and-
"You." She laid a kiss on her cheek below the eye that burned with her power, her tongue wiping away a stray tear that had begun to trail down her cheek.
"Did." She slowly tilted her head again to gently press her lips below the eye that Raiden stared out of, again her tongue lapped away a solitary tear as she did so.
"Nothing." She leaned up and placed her lips to Ei's forehead and laid a gentle kiss upon it as she gently carded her fingers through the Archons hair.
"Wrong." She lowered her lips to meet Ei's own in a tender kiss, trying to ease her fears and worries with a display of love as her hand shifted from the archons scalp to gently rubbing soothing circles along her back, a sensation which prompted Ei to lean into the kiss and reciprocate it as she once more felt tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes.
For several moments the two were locked in their kiss, and yet never once did Miko's hand cease holding Sara's cheek, with her thumb absently stroking circles upon it. Nor did Ei and Raiden's shared hands halt themselves from lifting up and gently joining Miko's, with one beginning to lovingly card its fingers through Sara's hair and another raising up to pull the kitsune closer against her as they deepened their kiss. The grief and guilt within Ei's heart not quite vanishing but certainly fading from its former horrible brilliance as she reveled in the love that her maiden held for her even after all that she had done.
After several moments of their lips being intertwined in their lover's dance the two parted, both sets of violet eyes gleaming with unshed tears as they cast their gazes from each other to the slumbering tengu whose hands had moved to clench the fabric of both of their dresses as she began to tremble in her sleep, a low whimper leaving her lips as she did so.
Without a second thought, the two women moved to devote their full attention to tending to their injured bird as the thunder storm beyond the walls of the palace began to dim, fury and grief gradually bleeding away and yet the endless tears of rain endured, continuing their downpour as the archon of electro felt her heart tear with each pained or fearful whimper that left her beloved generals unconscious lips as they worked to soothe her with gentle strokes to her scalp and coos of love and adoration whispered in to her ears till at last she relaxed.
Her grip on their dresses relenting as she began to return to a deep and dreamless sleep with whatever fright had plagued her once more remanded to the darkest depths of her mind, the young tengu let a faint smile cross her face as she nuzzled closer to the sources of the feelings of warmth and safety which offered her such relief from her own demons that lurked within her weary mind.
For moments there was no noise in the room save for the even breathing of the general and the gentle stroking of two hands through her ebon hair as two other hand lovingly cupped her cheeks with their thumbs delicately rubbing circles on them as the two women who sat around her pressed their foreheads together as they looked down at her sleeping face, Raiden continuing to peer through Ei's eyes and share in her sense of touch as she felt the still too warm skin of her general below her hand and thumb.
The two were silent until at last Miko spoke up again, once more breaking the silence and giving voice to a thought which had been swirling between the 3 of them.
"As much as I dislike the idea of it," Miko narrowed her eyes as she felt a sense of unease well within her at the thought of what she was about to say and just how it might affect Ei, "We can't stay with her all of the time until she recovers Ei." She said with a tone of regretful sorrow, an ache blooming in her chest at the thought of leaving the injured tengu with only the cold and clinical care of the healers and her nightmares for company. Yet she knew that they would have to address both the damages that were undoubtedly wrought by Ei's fury and also manage their daily tasks so that she would awaken to an Inazuma that was at least partially intact.
Ei and Raiden said nothing for several moments until at last they closed their eyes and heaved a sigh as their form trembled with a mixture of grief and sorrow and guilt and yet ever present rage as they considered the circumstances that lead to this as the thunder roared one more time and the lightning lashed upon the earth once more until both of them managed to cast their rage into the depths once more as they considered Miko's words.
After a few moments the voice of Raiden echoed from Ei's mouth as she gave voice to an idea that seemed to take a great deal of the weight of guilt off of Ei's shoulders as she considered what her Kagemusha had said.
"While I agree with you in regards to us not being able to remain by Sara's side all of the time throughout her recovery, there is a fairly obvious loophole that I believe you have missed Miko." The Shogun's words made the guuji blink as she wracked her mind for what the puppet could be talking about until she felt something click in her mind as she pulled her forehead away from Ei's so that she could bring her palm to her face as the obvious answer struck her.
"What do you mean Raiden?" Ei's voice echoed into the ears of the Puppet Shogun from within the Plane of Euthymia as she wrung her hands nervously within the mental plane, desperation leaking into her voice as she gazed down at her general through their shared eyes.
"What I mean is that while we cannot be with her, we can take advantage of your ability to maintain a body outside of this one for some time and have you remain by her side while myself and Miko focus on the work that requires our direct attention and delegate what does not require our immediate concern to our subordinates. If we go about it correctly we should be able to stay with her in shifts or at the very least have a small enough gap in between when we are each present that we should be able to keep well abreast of everything. That is of course assuming that we are not merely able to find a way to have you remain with her until she recovers without anyone becoming suspicious." Raiden spoke, taking a deep breath after she had finished giving voice to her idea.
Ei blinked as she took in her kagemusha's idea and soon she felt hope swell anew within her as she ran the idea over in her mind, already her mind beginning to race as she mentally ran through what would need to be done daily and which member of both her own staff of servants and retainers alongside of the Tri-Commission members could be assigned to which task in such a way to allow for her to be able to spend the most time with her beloved general.
While it was true that she had largely taken away the Tenryou Commissions powers, as a result of the Kujou Clans antics during their reign as the leaders of the branch, until she could either find a new leader amongst the varying clans of Inazuma or find a new way to delegate the powers of the executive branch amongst either of the other two members of the Tri-Commision, it still held enough influence that it could potentially cause issues if not controlled carefully.
As Ei and Raiden devoted their attention to figuring out how to best delegate their duties, the torrential pour of the rain slowed to a more endurable shower in terms of both quantity of rain coming down and in terms of the speed with which the rain came down, as the Shogun and her kagemusha's change of focus diverted their attention from their rampant emotions and allowed for the weather to semi-stabilize.
Miko herself was likewise devoting her mind to running through the tasks that she had to go through each and every day as the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, considering which of the many priestesses that served her would be best suited for which task and which ones were ill suited for the tasks that would need to be carried out over the days to come.
As their minds raced through what they would need to do to ensure they would have the most time to spend alongside their general, the rain began to slow further, still present and yet slow enough now that some were able to begin to poke their heads from their homes as they observed the damage that the storm of their archons fury had wrought upon them. For though brief it may have been, the storm had come with such loathing and grief within it, that it had left behind many marks upon the land below as it raged within the heavens above. Thankfully for the people of Inazuma few were the number of casualties and the damage, while horrific was repairable however it was still a sight which struck the people of the island nation.
Many wept and many more cried out in fear at the sight that greeted their eyes amidst the drizzle of rain that yet trickled down upon them from above. For there laid sprawled before their eyes buildings that had been torn apart by both mighty wind and terrible rain, some reduced to not but piles of rubble and debris and others standing but by virtue of sheer spite and wroth as the very foundation seemed to rebel against the forces that bade them to fall at last.
In some houses the water had been let seep through floors and windows and ceilings, and had formed into great pools of filthy liquid that lapped at the ankles, or in some truly horrid cases, the knees of those who dwelled within their homes. Many of those whose homes had flooded were quick to find their bodies wracked with trembling chills as the cool wind that now softly blew in a near gentle caress licked upon their rain slick skin, and yet others found that the chill of the rain ahd seeped so deeply into their bones that they could move barely an inch without the aid of kith and kin.
And yet those whose home were scored by wind and filled by rain were amongst the lucky ones for others had been left to the tender mercy of the strikes of lightning which had stabbed down from the heavens as rapiers and spears fueled by the ferocious wrath that had turned the heavens to coal as they tore great craters and gashes into the land and all that lay upon it.
One poor soul looked upon what had once been his home, and yet now lay as not but smoldering ruins, he had survived but by grace of the divine for he had been trapped within a nearby cave after having braved the beginning of the storm to chase down his fleeing pet cat, which had made wise decision of seeking something sturdier than wood and thatch to endure the wrath of a god with. Tears yet trickled from his eyes as he held his cat, whose lone amber eye gazed up at the sky with dread, and he knelt near the smoldering ruins of his home till at last a neighbor seized him by his shoulder and drug him to safety less a new storm brew and swallow him whole.
Distantly above the city, the mikos of the Grand Narukami shrine gazed down upon the battered land below with horror writ large upon their faces and etched deeper still into their eyes as they stood amidst the swirling sakura petals that had been whipped into the air by the horrid winds which had battered their shrine.
Strangely it was their shrine, highest point amidst all of Inazuma, that had endured no lashes of lightning from the wrath of their vengeful god as she leashed her fury upon the world amidst boundless rage and grief, and while having been drenched by the tears that fell from the sky they were not flooded to such an extent that their beloved home slid from atop Mt. Yongu and broke upon the land below, unlike many stalls and smaller buildings that the rapid flood had swept away.
Yet, still they had endured great winds that had buffeted their shrine with such force that many had felt that they would be flung from the mountain and have their bodies be broken upon the rocks below. However, as if by will of the Sacred Sakura, whose branches had by some true miracle remained firm and not bowed or broke under the hellstorm of wind, none had been flung from the mountain and thus all who were upon it were gifted with the sight of their battered land.
It did not take long for orders to begin being yelled by the elder shrine maidens as they directed their younger fellows to take stock of their supplies and provisions while they moved to begin the journey down the mountain to offer what aid they could, all the while prayers and pleas for mercy and forgiveness for whatever trespasses had been committed by the people of Inazuma to warrant such fearsome wrath.
Line Break
It was several hours after the storm's wrathful fury had subsided and its tears had slowed in their downpour from the all encompassing deluge that had shook the buildings of Inazuma to a more gentle shower or mild rain storm in speed and quantity, that a small and rather disparate group of individuals left the compound of the Kamisato Clan to investigate the state of the world beyond their walls.
A pathway of cryo formed before the group to allow for them to walk forward without being submerged to their knees in the mire of mud and downed branches and floating debris that had been swept into the foul mixture that lay spread before them by the wind and rain. Above them likewise hovered a barrier of anemo, called forth by the hands of the Traveler who was keeping a keen eye on the skies lest the Shogun feel keen about attempting to see what her kind smelled like when they were char fried as she kept the worst of the rain at bay lest they all fall ill from the foul weather.
She had already had one close call when she had attempted to leave the compound earlier so that she could try and help the people within the city, only for a bolt of lightning to slam into the earth before her after she had barely taken a few steps out of the Kamisato Clan's compound, the flash and intensity of the bolt enough to send her sprinting back inside as she snarled curses in her native tongue, and she was quite keen on not having a repeat occur.
Signora kept her eyes focused on the treeline that surrounded them, occasionally calling forth a path of ice for the small tanuki's that had been swept up in the storm so that they may scurry aboard the icy walkway in search of dry, or at least stable land, to find shelter upon. Meanwhile Ayaka and Ayato focused on using both their visions and swords to keep the way before them clear as Thoma used his own pyro vision to provide a pleasant warmth for the group on their trek to the capital.
Lumine looked at the devastation that hand engulfed Chinju forest and could not fight the shiver that wracked her spine as she beheld the upturned trees and dislodged statuettes and rocks that lay partially submerged amidst the muddy mire that yet still spread before them. Idly she recalled a conversation that had occurred earlier on that day, when she had gave voice to a question that had grown in her mind when the storm had truly began to swell and crescendo as the three women had huddled together under thick covers as they tried to offer one another comfort.
"Signora," her voice had come out low and soft, as though she feared that if she spoke up the storm would focus all its wrath upon her, an instinct honed over millenia spent amidst the stars telling her to be cautious for she was under the shadow of a looming threat.
"Yes Lumine," had come the equally soft voice of the Harbinger as she held the trembling form of Ayaka close with one arm and the Traveler's own form close with the other, their heads nuzzled against her bosom as the fire in her veins helped warm them amidst the chill that the storm had come with.
"Does something like this happen in Snezhnaya too? With your Tsaritsa?" The Traveler had asked even as she flinched from a loud crack of a whip of lightning smiting the earth anew, instinctively bringing her hand to cover Ayaka's ear that wasn't pressed against Signora's chest to help her younger lover drown out the harsh noises that made her whimper in terror.
"From time to time yes," came the answer of the Harbinger after she had shifted a little bit, enough so that the two had been pulled onto her lap and the blankets that enveloped them let but a thin sliver of light fall upon their faces as she held them close to her chest. "Although admittedly, I do not believe her majesty has raged this fiercely in some time, well over a hundred or so years. But I imagine that once she is informed of Scaramouche's treason…" The Harbinger shivered somewhat as she held her lovers closer to her, the rest of her sentence needing not be spoken.
"If she does get like this, use the charm I gave you." Lumine said as she recalled the Serentiea Pot Charm she had given the Fair Lady so that she could visit her within her home when she felt the need to, she still needed to finish making another one for Ayaka but once she did she was hoping to surprise her with it on her birthday.
"Believe me I will," the Fir Lady said as she leaned in a placed a gentle kiss to Lumine's brow, the Traveler sighing in joyful relief as she nuzzled further into Signora's chest, pulling Ayaka closer all the while beginning to hum a soothing song in her people's language. Idly feeling grateful that neither of her lovers truly understood the context of the morbid nature of the song whose tune was always oddly soothing.
She continued her humming until-
Lumine was snapped from her recollection by a cry that came from nearby, her keen ears barely able to register it and yet the sound was enough for her to gauge its general direction.
"I think there's someone over there," she said as Signora altered their path somewhat so that they could go and see who or what was crying out.
It came as something of a shock when they managed to at last navigate their way around the fallen trees and boulders and at last lay their gaze upon the source of the cry, the sight before them making them gape in shock for a moment before they sprung into action.
For there before them lay the half submerged and ruined remains of one of the many encampments of Fatui that had come with Signora to investigate the claims of their technology being used outside of their borders and ranks, and amidst the ruined camp were several of the soldiers themselves who looked greatly relieved to see them.
"Lady Signora!" Came the cry of an Anemo-Boxer who was helping haul his comrades from the mud that they had been trapped in.
"Praise the Tsaritsa!" Came another cry from a Mirror Maiden who sat upon a half submerged stone with gauze wrapped tight around her leg as she used her hydro to try and heal both herself and her comrades who had been injured by the storm.
"What in the Abyss are you fools doing out here!?" The Harbinger yelled out in shock as she called forth her cryo to freeze over most of the mire before them so that her and the group could begin to aid in both hauling and tending to the wounded Fatui who were much to bruised and battered to care about the how or why of their ladies companions.
"We…were investigating…claims of…a traitors…hideout…when…when it…" A pained groan finished off the sentence of a Pyro-Gunner who lay sprawled near the Mirror Maiden, his arms clenched tightly over his chest as a thin stream of blood trailed from his lips as he fought the urge to writhe amidst the pain lest he make his wounds worse.
The Mirror Maiden devoted more of her attention to him as an orb of hydro that glowed a vibrant sapphire formed and was laid over his chest, the healing properties of the orb making the man let out a sigh of relief even as he hacked up a small amount of blood a moment later. The Maiden then took up the mantle of her comrade in explaining why they looked less like the mighty force they were and more like half drowned corpses.
"We had heard word that some of the soldiers loyal to Scaramouche were hiding within a nearby cave system and came to investigate, however the intel turned out to be false and we were in the process of returning to the city when Electro Archon decided to bring in an early rainy season," the Mirror Maiden said, biting her lips to fight off a whimper near the end as she adjusted herself a little bit.
Signora nodded at the maiden's words as she began to freeze over more and more of the mire so that they could maneuver their injured a bit better onto dryer ground than the mire below them. Thoma and Ayato having already begun the laborious task of aiding in dragging wounded agents from the filthy muck and unto dry enough land that they could warm up next to a fire that was covered by a wall of geo Lumine had called forth, Thoma having started a couple of small ones under similar coverings much to the injured Fatui's vocal cries of joy, and be tended to easier once the group was able to get help to them.
Idly Signora thought about how it was often only in times like this, when disaster or external forces bore down upon humanity, that she was able to see the faint glimmer of light that her lady sought so desperately to preserve and she herself so desperately craved to see to remind herself why she walked the path she did. Yet she did not allow her thoughts to stray too far into contemplation as they still had to see the state the city was in and see just what had prompted the Archon of Electro to call forth such a ferocious storm, and so she joined her fellows in aiding her comrades.
Soon the group lost track of time as they pulled the injured from the muck and filth and took time and care to insure their wounds were suitably tended to so that they would not expire from their injuries before more qualified healers and aid could be sent to them once they were able to notify either other Fatui of their comrades position and state or manage to gather aid from the Shogunate forces to see to them.
Though soon enough they had gathered all of the soldiers of Snezhnaya upon dry enough lands to begin assessing their injuries when they heard it once more, that sound which they all had come to a silent and unspoken vow would haunt their nightmares for many a year to come as the sky did rumble once more and the ground did quake as thunder echoed anew in the distance with lightning of an oddly pink color beginning to crackle and hum amidst the skies once more.
Signora closed her eyes for a moment as she heard panic grip those around her and then let slip under her breath a stream of expletives in the tongue of Old Mondstadt, such words that had not crossed her lips for many a century and had not been heard aloud for far longer still as she cursed the Raiden Shogun and her temper before she joined in the panicked flight from the mire.
It was chaos of a supreme kind as many seized their injured fellows and flung them over their shoulders as they took flight, Thoma having seized the injured Mirror Maiden into a bridal carry as he moved with all due speed to keep pace with Ayato who had a Circin Mage in a similar carry as they did flee up a stairway of cryo called forth by Signora and onto much dryer land nearby.
Lumine, Ayaka held tight in her arms, was swift to look around the neighboring area for shelter as soon as she had leapt from the final step of the stairway, with Signora but a single step behind her as they swiftly turned to survey the land nearby only for a voice to call out to them from nearby.
"Here! Come here quick!" Came the voice of a shrine maiden, who did call out to them from the ruins of a shrine that lay near to them. Her hand beckoning them to come to them as she cast a fearful gaze to the skies, several fellow mikos did stand near her as they moved swiftly to put what they could find before the ruined windows and then hide away within in fear of the thunder that did roar distantly.
And at full speed did they run, no care given to order or appearance as they moved at the greatest of speeds their battered and weary forms could call forth to the relative safety afore them. A Cryo-gunner, who held another injured Circin Mage in his good arm, did lead the charge as he hurtled through the open doorway with all do speed with Signora, who had taken Lumine and Ayaka into her arms amidst her own flight, upon his heels.
Soon enough they were all tucked within the somewhat cramped ruins of the ruined shrine, with several walls of ice having formed over both the large hole that lay within the ceiling and over the broken door and windows, just in time for an immense roar of thunder to shake the building and several bolts of lightning to slam into the earth just outside of the building and across the whole of the plains beyond them.
For several moments they lingered within the building, silently huddling as outside raged a fierce but altogether brief bout of thunder and lightning that, despite it's brief duration, managed to shake the island once more as the rain increased in intensity for but a moment only to slow once more moments later as the thunder and lightning subsided.
It was only after nearly half an hour had passed since the last harsh crack of lightning that Signora did lower her cryo barriers over the windows to allow for those present to survey the situation beyond their makeshift shelter. Their eyes alighting on several small craters that yet smoldered despite the drizzle of rain that fell upon them, and upon a group of Shogunate Samurai who appeared to be having worse fortune than they as they seemed to have shed their metal armor and spears, and were drenched from head to toe as they moved as though all of the hordes of the abyss were lashing at their heels.
Idly the Fatui agents felt some of their damaged pride return to them as they took in the state of the Shogunate troops as they took advantage of the lull in the storm to make full speed towards the capital city, and to what they hoped would be shelter.
After another moment had passed, all of those present felt that it was safe enough to take leave of the ruined shrine, with those who were able to helping the mikos lift up several small boxes of medical supplies they had brought with them on their descent from the Grand Narukami Shrine as they prepared to make for the capital before the storm made another encore appearance.
They were quick to fall into something approaching an ordered formation under a renewed shield of anemo and cryo, the mikos at the center alongside of the injured, who the mikos had promised to tend to upon reaching a more reliable shelter, with the Fatui agents who were less injured and the troop who had left the Kamisato estate surrounding them such that if the storm did reappear they could seize them into carries and move with all due speed to any nearby form of shelter they could find.
Yet the storm did not resume outside of the drizzle that bore down on them from above as they drew nearer to the city, the sight of its battered and drenched walls, its mud slicked streets that lay littered with debris from houses and trees, and the waterways that overflowed and lapped at the heels of all who walked near it, was truly a welcome sight to the battered and drenched party who hurried ahead.
As they carefully navigated the pieces of torn timber and cast down branches, and the jagged points and sharp edges of nails and both great and small shards of glass and pottery that had come to form a hazard that the cries and shrieks of many said had gone somewhat unnoticed as many tried to patch up their homes with supplies that the Shogunate forces were hurriedly handing out so that at least some repair work could be done before another great storm did rise and wash away their city entirely.
Ayaka's eyes were wide as she saw a young woman kneeling before the crumbled remains of what was once her home, a gash across her forehead weeping blood just as her eyes did weep tears as she held a ruined picture frame to her chest as her own frame shook. And the young noble felt her heart crack more and more as she saw ever more scenes of the same such sorrow and destruction wrought by the fury of the Shogun upon the land, and she felt her own eyes begin to water as she took in all that lay before her.
A loud crash made the young maiden all but leap from her skin as she turned to look upon the restaurant that she so loved to dine at to see that, though still standing, a large portion of it's roof was gone and the counter at the front had been heavily damaged by a large branch that had been flung into it by a particularly mighty gale of roaring wind.
The loud crash that had drawn her gaze having come from the large branch being removed by the combined effort of many Shogunate soldiers as the owner worked to light their stove so that those who would be laboring under the rain could have something to keep them warm. A simple act of kindness on both parts, and yet it did much to soothe Ayaka's aching heart as she gave those who were even now moving the branch out of the way a smile.
"Tell me, is it bad?" Came the query of the Mirror Maiden, who had switched from being carried by Thoma to having one of her arms flung over his shoulder for support as she hobbled beside him, her covered eyes roving over the devastation as her ears did use the sound of cries and calls for aid that they heard as paint to make in her mind a grim picture.
"Honestly it isn't the worst storm Inazuma has had…but yeah…it's pretty bad." Thoma told the woman as his eyes traveled over the forms of a small group that were working to raise up a large portion of a wall that had fallen over the main road so that another group would be more easily able to cart off the pieces of detritus that they had been cleaning up. His eyes likewise roving over to where a dog was helping another group search for anyone who had been trapped in either the ruins of their homes or rubble that had fallen from elsewhere during the storm.
A deep sigh left the Kamisato Clan servant as his gaze continued wandering until it came upon the sight of the police station, its tower missing and a large portion of its roof stripped bare of covering and many of its windows reduced to empty cavities that exposed the barely lit corridors within, the empty frames doing nothing to keep the wind from whiping rain in and extinguishing what candles could be lit so that those within could labor in setting up what looked like a triage hospital.
A shared glance with Ayato told him all he needed to know as he adjusted the Maiden's arm and tightened his grip on her a bit more as he began to guide her over to the station, all the while careful to avoid the mire of glass shards and nails and jagged branches and timber that managed to poke through the path of cryo that Signora froze for them to walk upon in few but still present places.
"Sorry, hold on a bit longer," Thoma said as the Maiden let out a pained gasp as her injured leg collided with one such piece of timber that had managed to , thankfully avoiding any nails or jagged edges as she hobbled alongside the servant.
Ayato, had likewise adjusted his grip on the unconscious Circin Mage, whose mask had been knocked aside to expose a weeping gash across her forehead that yet leaked thin streams through a makeshift bandage that had been wrapped around it by the mikos while they had hidden from the brief storm in the crumbling shrine, so that he could move a bit faster to catch up to Signora, Lumine, and his sister.
The Fatui who had been traveling them and the mikos likewise picking up the pace as they drew nearer to the makeshift field hospital, the sight of it becoming clearer as they drew nearer.
From the blood caked bedding where injured civilians and soldiers lay while healers worked as quickly and efficiently as they could to keep pace with the influx of injured that came forth like the steady pour of a full stream, to the pile of sheets and rags tied tight on both ends that lay in another corner from which wafted the oh so loathingly familiar sickly sweet aroma of death.
Their gazes likewise took in the sight of several other Fatui who had been present within the city moving about in a hurry as they assisted in erecting more tent coverings and clearing away debrief and detritus to expand the hospital zone even as their officers and healers aided the Shogunates own both in organizing efforts to assist the people and in healing the injured.
As they drew nearer to the building, the cool air brought by the pathway of cryo they, and several other who had taken to following them as they used the much safer path to reach the emergency hospital, caused those who had been running around in a flurry of labor to pause and turn to look at them, relief coming to etch itself upon their face as Fatui snapped off salutes before resuming their work and Shogunate forces bowed at the sight of both the Traveler and the Kamisato lord and lady before they too resumed their work as the officers rose to meet them.
"Lady Signora/Lord Kamisato!" Came the voices of both a rather battered looking Fatui Agent, his mask cracked on one side, and a likewise battered and bruised Shogunate officer, whose helmet had been lost somewhere to the sea beyond the city cliffs during the storm, a tone of relief present in both of their voices as one saw their superior and the other a high ranking Lord who could help them bring some semblance of order to the mess that the city had become.
Signora was quick to call forth the mikos and her subordinates, who held the crates of the supplies that said mikos had brought with them, forward to begin to treat the injured and distribute the medicinal supplies they had brought to the other healers so that they could better treat those they were tending to as she turned to her subordinate and demanded a report on the situation.
As Signora was busy being informed of the condition of the city around her and the number of casualties, both in terms of injured and dead, the rest of her group was quick to set their own injured charges down so that the healers could begin to tend to them as they began to likewise take stock of the situation that now surrounded them, their eyes wandering over the devastation that surrounded them.
Lumine had to fight back the urge to flinch when she heard an ever distant peal of thunder ring out in the distance like some distant sepulchral bell awaiting for the opportunity to ring yet louder still and assume, in all of its horrible glory, the role of roaring funeral bells announcing their imminent departure from the living lands.
Ayaka however, could not fight back her flinch or whimper at the sound, the same for the fairy who had appeared as soon as they had at last reached somewhere they had access to at least some modicum of shelter in case of a renewed bout of thunderous wrath from the Shogun, and so Lumine turned her gaze from the devastation to aiding her lover and Emergency Food Supply.
It took her a few moments to find a small chair that no one had taken to use as a place she could set the unnerved heiress down on, slowly guiding her arms to wrap around Paimon so the two could offer each other some comfort until Ayato and Thoma had concluded with their own business and could be with her.
She had just finished with insuring that Ayaka was not on the verge of a panic attack when a flurry of commotion came from the entryway as a rather familiar blonde haired woman, who even now smelled of explosive powder, came barrelling towards her at a pace that made Lumine vaguely call to mind the comets and asteroids she and her brother had raced against when she and Aether were younger.
She barely had time to ground herself before the firework maker had lunged at her and almost sent her sprawling unto the ground, only her superior strength and the no small amount of geo she had channeled to form stone bindings over her feet to keep herself rooted preventing her from adding a concussion onto her already quite sizable list of aches and grievances for the day.
Lumine had fully expected a flood of words to come pouring from the firework maker's lips, and was instead treated to an unnerving quiet as the young woman instead leaned in and nuzzled against her neck, tears of relief pooling at the corner of her eyes as she held tight to Lumine as though she were her lifeline amidst a flood, much the same way Ayaka had but moments ago.
On instinct Lumine swept the blonde off of her feet and moved to sit near Ayaka and Paimon, rubbing soothing circles on the trembling woman's back as she did so. Her breath catching in her throat as she took in the sight of the bloody footprints the young woman had left in her wake as she had charged towards her, and the weeping gashes that adored her body.
Lumine had barely opened her mouth to call out for a healer before one appeared at her side, the presence of Ayato and Thoma telling her who was to thank for the young woman's timely arrival as she began to ease Yoimiya into laying down so she could treat her.
The blonde haired woman went limp as what seemed to be a rather sizable surge of adrenaline wore off, her whimpers and groans of pain more than testament to what had kept her moving as long as she had been with such injuries.
Lumine was about to ask just why the young woman looked as though she had challenged an entire tribe of Hilichurls to battle with nothing but a twig, when she heard approaching footsteps and looked up to see Signora and Yoimiya's father approach them, a glimmer of respect in the Harbinger's visible orb only adding to her questions.
"It would seem that young woman is going to be entitled to a very sizeable reward when she awakens, the same for her father once everything has calmed down," Signora began as she knelt down and placed a cryo infused hand to the young firework maker's cheek, the coolness of the touch making Yoimiya sigh in relief.
"Apparently she and her father were handing out fireworks for injured groups to use as signals for rescue, and were helping get injured parties here despite them getting injured when the storm made a re-appearance in the middle of their rescue efforts." Signora could not stop herself from letting no small amount of respect leak into her voice as she kept her cool hand to the young woman's face as the healer tended to her.
Lumine could not keep a small smile from her face as she looked at her friend, although there was a thought that ran rampant through her mind that made her smile drop from her face as she took in Yoimiya's injured state again and then let her gaze travel over all of those who lay in whimpering heapes or in still piles and found herself giving voice to a question even as she and Ayaka knelt beside the injured firework maker to hold her hands as she whimpered in pain.
"Did you hear anything about what could have sent the Shogun into a fit like this?" She asked the Harbinger, although her gaze traveled over everyone else who was present as she waited for a response, hoping that someone had at least some modicum of information on just what had provoked the Shogun into almost terraforming Inazuma into a wasteland.
For a moment there was silence and then-
"My agents" Signora began, " report that most of the people present hear claim to have heard the Shogun yell from somewhere near the Kujou Clan compound before the storm began," Signora finished with a sigh as she opened her mouth to continue with what she knew before-
A crack of lightning tore through the noise, the overwhelming smell of ozone assailing all of their noses as static electricity made their hair rise to stand on end as all of those present, bar the injured Yoimiya and the healer leapt to their feet with their weapons and visions readying for battle only for them to lower their arms at what they saw.
"Lumine," came the voice of Raiden Ei, her eyes alight with electro that burned with such power that all of those present were forced to take a step back as they saw the lightning bolts that arced and crackled within her glowing violet orbs.
"I require your help." The Raiden Shogun said and Lumine knew that her day had just become far more interesting, whether it was for good or ill was something she would soon know.
Chapter 2
And here we are with the second chapter at last reaching its conclusion. We are sorry for the delay in posting this one as we were working on something for our tumblr blog, Nomorefstogive and yes that is a reference to a song and points if you can guess which one it is alongside of having to deal with our work and other projects alongside of the procrastination that runs in our family's blood.
Ah but we are not here to plug our tumblr blog or offer excuses, rather we are here to say that we are sorry for the somewhat rushed ending of this chapter and at the fact that we have not yet gotten to the fluff that we promised, we still have a little bit to go to get Sara over the worst of her infection, but fortunately we know the perfect Deus Ex Machina to use for such a thing.
We just hope he enjoys being dragged halfway across Teyvat by a terrified Traveler.
Regardless, we hope you all enjoyed this chapter and we hope to see you in the next one.
Till then, stay safe and have a great day.