Esmeralda: Mondstadt


A/N: This takes place before the traveler's journey and before Stormterror awakened.


Great stone walls appeared before Esmeralda as she approached Mondstadt, the City of Freedom. Behind her, her robotic companion Daisy silently floated, holding a package wrapped in layers of cloth.

Esmeralda did not head directly into the city. Instead, she circled around its walls to a spot the guards tended to overlook. "Alright, Daisy, I need you to stay here for a bit."

It could not reply, but with their connection, Esmeralda knew that her companion understood. They had a bond that went deeper than creator and machine; a bond cemented by her recently acquired Geo Vision. As much as she would have liked to bring Daisy with her into the city, she knew that it would only bring more trouble. Originally a Ruin Guard, Daisy has since been improved with parts scavenged from both Ruin Hunters and Ruin Graders. Most importantly, it could now hover in the air, although at the cost of having its legs removed. It was still doubtlessly a dangerous-looking machine, so it would be best to leave it where no one would come across it.

"Keep that safe, alright?" Esmeralda spoke, referring to the package that Daisy carried. She had spent quite a long time on it and it would do no good for all that work to be lost. Daisy did not physically respond, but it understood. It always understood her.

With that, Esmeralda turned to leave and enter Mondstadt. Daisy landed on the ground, backed against the wall. It entered a low-power state, and with the package hidden behind it, it looked like just another of the many ruins that existed throughout the world.


Esmeralda soon arrived at the front gate of the Crown of the North. As she passed the one bridge that crossed the river around the city, she waved to the boy who always seemed present there, surrounded by pigeons. She greeted the pair of Knights standing guard on either side of the towering gate and they nodded in return as she entered.

It was not her first time in the city. Mondstadt was a convenient place for her to restock while she was out in the wilderness, as well as host to a branch of the Adventurer's Guild where she could make some Mora if she needed it, as well as post her own commissions for rare Automaton parts.

Her destination that day was the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, but she had never been there before. Instead of wandering aimlessly, she decided to go and ask Katheryne, the Receptionist of the Guild.

"Hello, Katheryne," Esmeralda greeted as she approached the Adventurer's Guild Post.

"Ad Astra Abyssosque, Esmeralda. How can I help you today?" Katheryne responded with her usual greeting. To Esmeralda, it seemed almost robotic, but she thought nothing of it - anyone would sound robotic if they said the same thing every day for years on end.

"Could you point me to the Favonius Knights Headquarters? I need to talk to them," Esmeralda said.

"Of course," Katheryne replied. She provided a quick set of directions, as well as a description of the building in question, and Esmeralda was on her way.

The largest and most impressive building in Mondstadt was the Favonius Cathedral. Along with the grandiose Anemo Archon statue in the plaza outside it, the Cathedral was the shining heart of the city, drawing attention to its majesty. Nearby, the Knights of Favonius Headquarters was a much less decorated but far more utilitarian building. Made of sturdy layers of brick and stone, it served as one of the keeps of the city, home to its defenders.

As Esmeralda approached, she noticed that there was no one at the doors. Shrugging to herself, she let herself in.

In the building, she noticed a pair of armored guards that stood watch over the area. She approached them and greeted them, "Hello."

"Hello, how may I help?" one of the guards asked.

"I'm looking for a knight named Ariel. Do you know where I can find her?"

The guard frowned. "Ariel? Isn't she the Captain of the Reconnaissance Company?"

"That's right, but I thought that she left some time ago," the other guard added.

"Left?" Esmeralda wondered. "That's right, she mentioned that she was no longer affiliated with the Knights. Do you know where she went?"

The two guards shook their heads. "Sorry, we were never told of her future plans."

"Perhaps you can ask the Acting Grandmaster," the other suggested.

"Her office is right down the hallway. She should be free now, actually. You can ask her."

Esmeralda was surprised. She had expected the head of an organization such as the Knights to have a serious workload, but perhaps the peaceful nature of the nation allowed her to meet with the public. After thanking the guards, Esmeralda went to look for the Acting Grandmaster. The door, labeled clearly with 'Acting Grandmaster Jean', was easy to find.

Esmeralda knocked and a tired voice soon sounded out, "Come in."

She pushed open the door and entered the office. The first thing that Esmeralda noticed was the large stacks of paperwork piled on and around the main desk in the room, where a woman who could only be the Acting Grandmaster sat.

"Hello, how can I help?" Jean asked. She looked exhausted.

"Hi. I'm, er, looking for Ariel," Esmeralda got to the point; Jean certainly seemed very busy.

Jean frowned. "Ariel? May I ask why?"

"She saved my life some time ago. I have a gift for her," Esmeralda answered.

"I see," Jean said, "Well, she left the Knights of Favonius to join the Church several weeks ago. If you ask at the Cathedral, I'm sure you -"

"Master Jean!" a woman dressed in red and wearing a headband with a large bow called out as she burst into the room.

When she noticed that she had startled the Acting Grandmaster and her guest, the newcomer quickly apologized, "I'm very sorry for barging in, but there's an emergency."

"What is it, Amber?" Jean asked. Her lethargy seemed to melt off her as she focused on the urgent threat.

"There's a Ruin Machine of some kind right outside the walls. It's dormant now, but I'm afraid it could wake at any moment. We need to destroy it!"

"I see. Well, miss," Jean was speaking to Esmeralda, who was paying little attention. Amber's description sounded familiar. "I'm afraid I cannot help you any further. Please - "

It clicked. "Wait! Would this Ruin Machine happen to look like a Ruin Grader, except without its legs?"

Amber thought about it. "Well, yes. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Do you know where it came from?" Jean asked.

"I can control it," Esmeralda proclaimed.

The two Knights stared at her. "Really?" Amber asked.

Esmeralda nodded and the two seemed to consider the possibility.

There was a knock on the door. "It's me, Jean. I've got the paperwork you asked for."

Jean seemed to come to a conclusion. "Alright. Kaeya, come in."

The door opened once more and a handsome man entered. His eye was covered by an eyepatch and he was carrying a crate of papers in his arms. "Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Amber, bring Kaeya and... " Jean began and quickly trailed off.

"Esmeralda," she supplied.

"Bring Kaeya and Esmeralda to the Ruin Machine. Esmeralda, if you can control it, I'd like you to bring it away from the city, please. If not, Kaeya, destroy it," Jean ordered, chasing the three of them out of her room. "Go."

Amber led them across the city, taking a path that would bring them over the wall. Her steps were quick and urgent, but to her annoyance, Kaeya was sauntering along without a care in the world.

"Come on, you two," she called back, "Let's go."

"Relax, Amber. The machine is dormant, is it not? There's no hurry. Besides, I have certain questions for this young lady here," Kaeya said, making no move to speed up. "Esmeralda, was it? I am Calvary Captain Kaeya and that is Outrider Amber," Kaeya introduced. "So, can you really control Ruin Guards?"

Esmeralda shook her head. They were nearing the city walls and it certainly looked like the place where she had left her companion. "Not all. Just one."

Between Kaeya's polite queries and Amber's constant urging, they soon arrived outside the Mondstadt wall. At this point, Esmeralda was sure that Amber had indeed come across Daisy, who was indeed resting dormant against the stone, somewhat hidden in the shadows.

"So, is this the one?" Kaeya asked. He fearlessly walked up and rapped his knuckles on Daisy's armor. It did not react.

"Yup," Esmeralda said, facing the Knights. "Please don't attack her. She's not a threat, I promise." She returned her attention to the great machine and, placing a hand on its side, she whispered, "Wake up, Daisy."

The automaton came to life. Its Power Core was the first to activate, glowing brightly yellow within the 'eye' of the Ruin Machine. The power was sent to the Plausterite Core, allowing it to float in the air. There it remained, unmoving.

Amber had retreated when it came alive, her bow drawn and an arrow loaded. She was currently pointing it to the ground, but could easily re-aim it at a moment's notice. On the other hand, Kaeya seemed entirely unperturbed by the destructive machine coming to life less than an arm's length away, towering over him.

"So, yeah," Esmeralda awkwardly said. "This is Daisy. She won't hurt you. Say hi, Daisy."

Daisy raised a bulky armored arm and waved. It looked more threatening than friendly, but it seemed to reassure Amber.

"Most intriguing indeed, Esmeralda," Kaeya commented, "No one has ever managed to control a Ruin Machine before. How did you manage it?"

"It's... complicated," Esmeralda admitted. "And I still need to find Ariel."

"Ah, that's no problem. Outrider Amber, would you mind doing us a favor? Please call Ariel over, would you?" Kaeya asked.

Amber frowned. "Are you sure, Kaeya? That looks dangerous."

"I'm flattered at your concern for my safety, but I will be fine. Besides, you're the fastest, and once Ariel gets here, we can follow Jean's instructions and move away from the city. How about it?"

Amber nodded. "Alright. I'll be right back." With that, she stowed her bow and hurried back in the direction of the Cathedral.

"Well, now that we have some time, why don't you explain to me how this all works?" Kaeya suggested.

"Sure," Esmeralda said, thinking. "To start, I've always been interested in machines and artificial intelligence. I became a scholar and focused my studies and research on the Ruin Machines so that I could figure out how they worked. As for Daisy herself, I was doing some experiments on a damaged RUIN Guard I found when I made a breakthrough and got my Vision. I called her Daisy."

"So the Vision plays a part?"

"Oh, definitely. Daisy is not truly autonomous yet. The Vision connects us, in a way. I'm still working on it."

"And you say it was a Ruin Guard?" Kaeya asked.

Esmeralda nodded. "Originally, yes. I took a Plausterite Core from a Hunter to allow her to fly, and used some armor from a Grader to make her more resilient."

"You managed, by yourself, to improve a Ruin Guard like that?"

"Well, she helped," Esmeralda said, gesturing to the robot quietly floating next to her.

Kaeya seemed to think about it. "Very impressive," he commented, glancing to his side. "What do you think, Rosaria?"

Following his gaze, Esmeralda finally realized that someone else had arrived. This Rosaria had pale skin and wore an outfit that, while heavily modified, could still be identified as a Church of Favonius uniform. She was leaning against a tree, hidden in its shadow, idly spinning a knife in her hand.

"Tsk," Rosaria seemed annoyed but not particularly affected by getting caught. She glanced at Kaeya before returning her gaze to Esmeralda and Daisy. "I think that that's a danger to the city and that I'll be keeping an eye on the two of them."

Kaeya shook his head. "Always so cold, Rosaria."

"If you want to confess your crimes and get cuddled like a child, you can go find a different sister. I'll make sure that nothing -"

"Nothing threatens the city, yes, I know," Kaeua interrupted. "Still, look at her! Does she look like someone who plans to destroy Mondstadt?"

Esmeralda smiled and waved at the mysterious woman.

"I'll be keeping an eye on her and the robot anyway," Rosaria said, ignoring Kaeya's question.

"I'm going to the ruins in the west of Mondstadt. I'll do my research there," Esmeralda offered.

"The ruins of old Mondstadt? Alright then. I'll be taking my leave now," Rosaria turned to go. "I've got work to do."

"Do you mean your work at Angel's Share or the Church?" Kaeya asked.

Esmeralda did not know what he meant, although she did notice that he mentioned the word 'church'. There was also her comment about the other sisters before. Rosaria seemed uninterested in answering that question, so she quickly called out, "Wait, you work at the church?"

Rosaria paused. "Yeah, so?"

"Do you know someone named Ariel?"

"Oh, so you're here to meet her?" Rosaria asked, mostly at herself. She scoffed. "Good luck with that." With that final comment, the mysterious nun vanished.

"Wai-"

"I'm back!" Amber's voice sounded out from above. Esmeralda and Kaeya turned to see her and another woman atop Mondstadt's wall. Esmeralda recognized her as Ariel, the person she had come to see. She still wore her long coat and pants - it seemed that either the Church had very relaxed uniform rules, or neither Ariel nor Rosaria cared about it. A Pyro Vision glinted, pinned to her chest.

Amber jumped off Mondstadt's wall and glided down slowly beside them. Ariel, however, leaped off and landed in a roll, bringing her standing in front of Esmeralda.

Esmeralda looked up - Ariel was a full head taller than her, and she spoke, "I know you."

"Ah, yes. I'm Esmeralda."

"Why have you called me here?"

"Well, I wanted to thank you for helping me that time, so I made something for you," Esmeralda said, gesturing for Daisy to approach. It floated beside her, the cloth-covered package in its hands.

If Ariel was intimidated by the Ruin Machine, she did not show it. As though talking to just a normal person, she said, "There is no need."

"Come on, let me show you what it is first," Esmeralda insisted. She carefully unwrapped the layers of cloth, revealing a shining new Claymore. Polished to a shine, the twin parallel blades of the weapon drew Ariel's attention. Esmeralda had not decorated it - that was not her forte. As such, the blades looked simple but deadly sharp. The crossguard was also unusual, filled with mechanical gears and components.

While the two Knights and one ex-knight admired the weapon, Esmeralda began to describe it and its abilities. "Right, so I made this Claymore for you, Ariel. It's forged from a Ruin Hunter's blade: stronger than standard steel and much more resistant to damage. It's also greatly resistant to heat - I've asked around a bit and apparently, the Claymores that you use have a tendency to end up melting." She glanced at Kaeya.

He laughed. "That's true. How many Favonius Claymores did you destroy? Seven?"

Ariel crossed her arms. "It was unintentional."

"This one won't melt. The problem is, of course, that it's kind of heavy, even for a Claymore," Esmeralda admitted. "It was meant to be wielded by a robot like Daisy after all. Do you want to try it out?"

Ariel seemed skeptical, but at Amber's urging, she stepped up to Daisy. Esmeralda watched eagerly as Ariel gripped the handle of the weapon. She lifted it up, stepped back, and swung it a few times, testing its weight and balance.

"A very well-made weapon. Tell me, have you forged such things before?" Ariel asked.

"A sword in particular? No. I do have experience with general construction, though," Esmeralda said, patting Daisy's arm.

Ariel nodded. "Thank you for this gift. I shall put it to good use."

Esmeralda smiled. "Actually, that's not all that sword can do. Here," she began explaining. "There are some switches near the handle. If you do this..." As she spoke, she reached over, flicking a series of levers in the complex handle of the sword.

The mechanisms within sprung to lift, transforming the sword. Its twin blades moved together, forming a long cylindrical handle. The handle shot up, the crossguards reorienting to point up and partially folding out into a pair of sharp tips. Ariel quickly acted, instinctively readjusting her grip despite her surprise. She stared at the new Polearm in her grip.

"Right, that went well," Esmeralda commented. "So, I heard that you can use a spear as well."

"She melted four Favonius Lances," Kaeya supplied.

"And six Bows," Amber added.

Ariel did not respond to those accusations.

"So, this sequence tells the sword to become a spear. Now, if you push these instead," Esmeralda trailed off as she demonstrated before stepping back.

The reverse of the transformation happened, the Polearm reforming into its original twin-bladed Claymore form, but it did not stop there. The two blades spread themselves open, along with a number of smaller changes near the hilt of the sword. The suddenness and magnitude of the transformation almost caused her to lose her grip, but Ariel adjusted quickly. When the gears had settled, she was holding a heavy Bow, albeit one without a bowstring.

Esmeralda grinned, tail swaying. "Tada!"

"There's no bowstring," Ariel pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," Esmeralda said. "Just hold it and focus your Vision power into the Bow. Imagine that it's ready to fire."

Ariel followed her instructions, taking hold and raising the bow. It was very heavy, for such a weapon type, but she could manage it. She aimed it at the lake, drawing back as though an imaginary arrow had already been nocked on the imaginary bowstring.

Both the arrow and bowstring appeared out of nowhere, tinted red. Even as Ariel examined them, Esmeralda was already explaining. "You see, the bow can use Elemental energy to create a bowstring and an endless supply of arrows. It will drain you, but as long as you are capable, you don't ever have to worry about running out. So, what do you think?"

"This is certainly very impressive handiwork," Ariel said, dismissing the Elemental bowstring.

"It's the most impressive weapon I've ever seen!" Amber exclaimed.

Esmeralda blushed. "Thanks." Her tail swayed from side to side.

"I am inclined to agree," Kaeya added. "Why, I don't think even Wagner could make something like it."

Ariel nodded. "I shall accept this gift, and do my best to be worthy of it. It shall be an extension of the Gods' will. Still, Such a weapon should not be so simply given away..."

"Actually, there is something I'll like you to help me with: I need your feedback on the weapon. How it feels, if anything broke, stuff like that. Deal?" Esmeralda asked.

Ariel nodded. "I agree."

"One last thing - I never named this weapon. I'm not good at naming things, so I'll leave that to you."

Ariel gave it some thought. She pushed the switches on the Bow and, holding it carefully, watched as the magical bowstring disappeared and its limbs closed back into the blades of a sword. Running a hand lightly over the edge of the weapon, sending embers flickering, she came to a conclusion.

"I shall name it... Heaven's Gate."