[CHARLIE]

The sound of chirping birds and a windy morning slowly creeped into my ears. I groaned softly, as the first rays of sunlight hitted my eyelids, shimming through the window. I sat up, and rubbed my eyes, trying to rub away the grogginess. Yawning, I stretched my limbs, feeling the stiffness of sleep gradually dissipate.

Glancing around Amber's cozy home, still dimly lit by the early morning light filtering through the curtains, I couldn't help but appreciate the sense of peace that filled the air. The soft rustling of the wind outside mingled with the occasional creaking of the wooden floorboards, creating a symphony of soothing sounds that wrapped around me like a comforting embrace.

Well, better to start the day now than later. I walked towards the kitchen, the wooden floor creaked softly with each step I took, and by the likes of it, Amber seemed to be still asleep, judging by the empty first floor. I served myself a glass of water and gulped its contents down. Ah! Fresh water in the morning gotta be one of the most satisfying things to do.

Snooping through the kitchen, I looked at what I could do for breakfast. She had a few ingredients I could work with. Some eggs, bread, cheese, ham, jelly, salt, pepper and a variety of fruits and vegetables and some other stuff. I also had some grounded coffee and my moka coffee pot. I like to have it with me when I go camping, since it's really durable and portable. So a complete meal. Nice.

I quickly noticed that in this world, so far I haven't seen any type of electrical or gas stoves. Mostly stone and steel kitchens. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, and I actually enjoy cooking some stuff the old-fashion way. Hastily, I made a fire under the stone stove, being careful, and once I had a good fire, I prepared the ingredients, getting everything set up.

Having everything ready, I placed a steel pan above the fire, and with some butter I found, I placed a cube of butter over the pan and started to move it around, the pan now glazed in a layer of butter. Quickly I broke a few eggs and placed them on the pan, the sizzling sound of the egg echoing through the kitchen. I added a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor and added some ham to cook besides the eggs.

Meanwhile I grabbed the half-loaf of bread, and with a sharp knife I found over the counter, I cutted some slices of bread, not very thin, but not-overly thick. Grabbing another pan, I placed it over the fire, and added some more butter to the bread this time, and placed the sliced bread over the pan. I didn't wait too much for the bread, it quickly gained a golden brown color, as the butter toasted the bread.

By now, everything should be ready. Grabbing two plates, I placed the first toasty slice of bread, and with a wooden spoon, I grabbed the sunny-side egg and placed them gently on their respective slice of bread. A smoked slice of ham on top of the egg, and finally I cutted some cheese and placed it on top of the ham, and I closed the egg sandwiches with the last piece of bread. The heat still coming from the freshly cooked egg and ham, quickly melted the cheese, instead of being a hard slice of cheese.

Cleaning quickly, I placed the breakfast beside me, and started to work on my coffee. Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps coming down the wooden stairs. It seems that the sleeping beauty has finally woke up.

"Something smells good…!" I heard Amber groggily. I smiled with amusement.

"Good Morning." I said as I placed some grounded coffee in the pot, ready for brewing.

"Slept well?" I said as I pushed the sandwich towards her with a glass of water beside the plate.

"Yup. Slept like a rock!" She giggled a bit, before her eyes locked with her breakfast. "Oh Charlie, this looks so good! I didn't know you could cook!"

"I know my way around the kitchen. If only a bit." I placed the pot over the fire, now the only thing left is for the coffee to finish brewing. Meanwhile, I started cleaning the kitchen. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Amber took a first bite, and I saw how her eyes shined pleasantly.

"It tastes as good as it looks." She complimented after a bite. "Thank you Charlie, it's been a while since I had some homemade breakfast."

"Really?" I questioned the brunette as I grabbed my own plate and leaned against the counter.

"Yup. I… I don't cook that much. I can whip up something for myself if I really need it, but usually I just eat something at Good hunter." Well, that explained why she only had the minimum of food in her drawers.

By now, the smell of coffee flooded the kitchen, making me smile. Fresh brewed coffee, one of my favorite scents.

"Coffee?" I offered Amber, as I grabbed my aluminum cup I have and served myself a cup.

"Yes please. Just with lots of milk. I don't like very strong coffee…" She murmured at the end. Even if I have some tolerance to very bitter coffee, I still add some milk to mine too. Grabbing a cup, I served her coffee, and added lots of milk, just as she requested. Finally, I started to eat my breakfast. It was very good, and just like my dad taught me. He always liked to cook when he had the chance, and everything he made was always delicious.

Mom would mostly cook everyday, but when my Dad cooked I knew he'd make something worthy of the very gods. Even if he sometimes added weird ingredients, I could only trust the process.

We ate mostly in silence, and by that time we were mostly fully awoken and ready for the day. Amber had her outrider duties, and I needed a way to make some money. I'll go around the city and see what I can do.

After we finished having our breakfast and our coffee, I finished tidying up all of the dishes and did a quick cleaning. Amber went back to her room to finish dressing up, and I did the same, putting on my boots and my jacket. I should really buy some new clothes when I have the chance, since I only have the ones I'm currently wearing. Plus, it could be fun to wear some more local clothing. I wonder if I could use some sort of cape without looking too out of place?

Amber then rushed down, ready in her usual outfit. "Alright, lets go Charlie!" Stepping out of her home, the cold and fresh wind of Mondstadt rushed towards me, the chilly morning greeting me. Amber then turned towards me, "The adventurer's guild could be a good place to start, there are a lot of jobs and commissions you could do, you should check that out first. It's near the entrance of the city walls, you can't miss it."

Unfortunately for me, I did miss it the first time, since I don't remember the adventurer's guild yesterday that I was roaming around the city. If push comes to shove, I'll just ask for some indications.

"Got it." I said and we began walking out of the little corner in Mondstat where Amber's home was. "What about you? what do you have to do today?" I asked the brunette.

"Well, apparently hillichurls' camps have been more active. As an outrider, I have to keep an eye on them, just to make sure that they don't come too close to the city. Also, sometimes I guard the main merchant roads that export and import goods into Mondstadt."

"Sounds like a handful, but I'm sure you'll be just fine."

After a bit of walking, we arrived at the marketplace. Some of the patrons were getting ready for the morning, placing their goods at display and getting their shops ready.

"Gotta go, Charlie! If you need anything, you can ask for me at the Knights of Favonius headquarters!" I have no idea where this headquarters might be but fine, I wanted to keep exploring the city anyways.

"Alright. See ya later Amber." I waved as she jogged away, a long day ahead of her. Now, I needed to start my own things, so first, the adventurer's guild.

I'm used to getting up early, so even if it was pretty early I felt ready for the day, if a little nervous. The morning in Mondstadt was different to the usual morning back in my world, there was this feeling ligering in the air, maybe it was me, but the first golden rays of the sun peeking over the buildings and the distant mountains added a calm serenity to me.

It was different, yet it was something I liked. Eventually, I stumbled upon the waitress and host of Good Hunter, Sara, if I remembered correctly.

"Morning." I greeted the girl. The girl noticing me gave me a polite smile.

"Good Morning, hmmmm… Charlie? Did I get that right?" She asked.

"Yeah, you got it fine. Your name was Sara, right?"

"Yes..! Anyways, did you enjoy the meal from last night? I hope I managed to give you a good impression on Mondstadt local dishes." Sara asked, placing her hands on her hips and giving me a look.

"You bet. That pasta was one of the best dishes I had in a while. To be honest, it kinda reminded me a little of home." I said rubbing my neck Sara had a pleased smile on her face. "Anyways, do you know where the adventurer's guild is? Amber gave me some instructions but I think I'm a bit lost…"

Sara had an amused smile. "Oh that's easy, just head down this street towards Mondstadt's gates. There should be a small building nearby the gates, and a woman dressed in the adventures guild uniform standing behind a counter. I think her name's Katheryne."

I nodded at her instructions, well, it looks like I was on the correct path from the beginning, good to know. "Thanks a lot, Sara."

"You're welcome;" She said with a pleasant smile. "If you get hungry, be sure to come later!"

"You got it!" A smile grew on my lips. "I still haven't tried the rest of the menu, so you can count on a second visit."

"Ba-bye! Good luck with the adventurer's guild!"

I waved as I walked away from Good Hunter. Now with a more clear destiny in mind, I arrived quickly to the adventurer's guild, and to be honest, of all the fantasy troupes in the media, the adventurer's guild was not what I was expecting.

I kinda imagined that the guild would be a grand wooden and stone house, filled with hardened mercenaries and adventurers and different looking people, but what I came across was the sight of a young woman standing behind a counter, behind her a lot of different books and logs with all kinds of information. The adventurer's guild was a medium sized building, and not a lot of people were around. You could see some adventurers checking the board and some talking with their friends, but overall not a lot of people. I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I was expecting something bigger, grander.

"Morning." I greeted the woman behind the counter, with a small smile she nodded and greeted politely.

"Ad astra abyssosque. Welcome to the adventurer's guild. My name is Katheryne, how may I help you today?" The woman behind the counter said. She was a cute girl. Dark hair, borderline black in a bob cut style. Pale fair skin dark green eyes. She appeared to be wearing what I could only guess was some sort of receptionist uniform, given how decorated and nice the dress she was wearing was. To top it all off, she also had a white and green headband resting on her head.

"Hello, my name is Charlie and well, I'm looking for a job. A friend of mine recommended the adventurer's guild as a way to make money, but I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, could you help me by any chance?" I asked the girl a bit awkwardly.

The girl suddenly locked eyes into mine, a rather intense look she was giving off. She glanced me up and down, before deciding. "Are you by any chance a Traveler?"

"Yes, I arrived in the city yesterday, and I don't have a single coin on me…" I admitted in a resigned tone.

"I see…" She said slowly. "Fortunately for you, the adventurer's guild is always willing to accept new members into its rankings, and all kinds of Jobs are posted in the bulletin board, if you have any preferences in the types of jobs you might want to take." She made a small pause, gesturing to the board with all kinds of papers stamped in.

"People from Mondstadt and all of the seven nations post their commissions to the adventurer's guild. Each nation has its own headquarters of the adventurer's guild, so if by some chance you leave Mondstadt, you'll still be part of the guild."

She made a small pause. "These commissions vary regarding their nature, they can be bounties, material gathering or some other kind of job people may need. Some of the commissions take place in the city, while others can take you into the wild and some other dangerous places." The guild girl explained everything to me, making emphasis on the 'dangerous' part. So far everything Katheryne tells me, the adventurer's guild seemed like a very good option.

"However, you must be mindful of the dangers all around Teyvat. The wilderness is full of Monsters and wild beasts, therefore, one must know how to survive in the wild, avoid monsters and fight them if necessary. The life of an adventurer is not for everyone, but, if you think you have the necessary skills for the job, the adventurer's guild welcomes you with open arms."

In my eyes, working for the adventurer's guild was a high risk and high reward kind of situation, the boons were pretty good and if I leave Mondstadt I'll still have a constant way of making money, so I wouldn't go broke anytime soon. Well, IF I work for the guild. I know that probably I don't have the ideal set of skills for the life of an adventure, given how my first interaction with those masked creatures, hilichurls I think Amber called them. But a not so small part of me funded the idea of being an adventurer being fun and exciting. Just like one of those RPG videogames I used to play.

"...If I decide to be part of the guild, when could I start?" I asked the girl.

"Immediately, but a part of me tells me you don't have a complete understanding of how things work around here, so I'll pair you up with a competent adventurer, she's also a Traveler like yourself; She arrived in the city a few weeks ago."

I pondered for a moment, granted, the moment wasn't large by any means, and I knew that most likely I was making a hasty decision.

"I'd like to sign up for the adventurer's guild please."

Her smile didn't change a bit, still on that small pleasant smile. "I'm happy to hear that Mr. Charlie." She then took a look under the reception desk, most likely searching for something. "Please fill the forms, and after that you'll be a member of the guild." She grabbed some stacked papers, but the one she gave me were some sheets of paper, with the usual questions for forms.

She placed the sheet of paper in front of me, and a real bird feather and a small glass ink container. I remained fixated on the ink and feather, for who knows how long, and I was pretty sure I had a grin on my face all the time, looking at the parchments. I mean, it's a real adventurer-fantasy ink and feather combo! Pretty exciting in my eyes.

"...Sir? Is everything alright?" The girl asked with a troubled expression, clearly catching my strange face.

"A-Ah, it's nothing, really…" I said, stumbling over my words. Grabbing the feather, I gently dipped the tip of the feather in ink, and began to complete the form given to me. It was a basic form; Name, Age, Sex, and some other related questions, so I wrote everything fast and I finished pretty quickly. I passed the form to Katheryne, who quickly reviewed everything, making sure it was alright.

With a satisfied nod, she placed the form away, under her desk. "Everything is in order Mr. Charlie; Welcome officially to the adventurer's guild!" She said with a smile, this time a tad bit wider than before. "Now, about your fellow adventurer…" She murmured to herself. Looking to the side while pondering. Her eyes roamed to the crowd and a pleasant smile made way into her face.

"Lumine! Paimon!" Katheryne waved at the slowly growing crowd behind me. I turned around, to see who the guild girl was talking to. Looking around the crowd, well, I only saw Merchants and even some knights walking around the market. But, quickly my eyes quickly locked to the mystery people Katheryne was talking about.

A young woman, with short blond hair and long bangs adorning the side of her face, a pretty white flower decorating the side of her head. A round face with golden eyes, dressed in a white dress with gold and light blue accents, and a small white cape, divided by the center. Finally long legs, with high thigh white boots with golden accents.

By her side, I almost had to do a double take. A small… Child? White hair, and big large dark eyes. Above her hair, a small pink halo-like crown, it surprised to see it floating, and that was only one thing, giving that the girl was also floating around her companion. Is Magic real in this world? Anyways, questions for later. She was dressed in a one piece suit/dress, with accents of pink around the sleeves and the beginning of her white boots. Lastly, she had a scarf-like cape that looked like outer space, black with lots of white dots.

Both of them immediately looked over at our direction, having heard Katheryne calling for them, quickly made their way to the adventurer's guild.

"Hello Katheryne!" The floating child greeted the girl.

"Hello, to you too, Paimon, Lumine." Katherye addressed both girls. "I trust everything has been fine lately?"

"Indeed," The girl in white replied, her voice calm and reassuring. "Things have been relatively calm as lately, well, that is without the rumors of Stormterror being active as late."

"That Pesky Dragon!" The floating child complained. To be honest, I was half listening to the conversation, seeing I was still fixated on the how of the floating child in front of me. If magic indeed exists in this world, the possibilities of it are endless! I think I might have been staring a bit too hard, given that the floating child turned towards me, with a raised brow.

"Hm? Katheryne, who's this?" Immediately, I refocused at being addressed by these two. Thankfully, Katheryne answered for me.

"Oh, this is Mr. Charlie. A traveler that just arrived in Mondstadt. He became an official Member of the guild, and I would like for you two to teach him the basics to adventuring and the like."

"Nice to meet you." I said politely, a small smile adorning my lips.

"Oh! You're a Traveler too!? Just like you, Lumine! But, now that I see you up close, yoe seem to favor very strange clothes, Mr. Charlie." Paimon inquired as she continued to inspect me. "Anyways, This is Lumine!" She gestured to the girl beside her, she shot a smile at me.

"And Paimon–!"

"Emergency Food."

"..."

"...What…?" I shot Lumine an incredulous look. Looking over the floating child, she didn't look really tasty if you ask me.

"WHAT!? I'm not emergency food for no one! You better get that very clear Mr. Charlie!"

Then, her mostly stoic face quickly broke and a small and cute laugh espaped her. Clutching her stomach she continued to laugh for a bit.

"Sorry for that, Charlie, I'm only messing with you; You had a very disturbed face for a second. This sassy lost child is Paimon." Paimon then shot a knowing glare to the blonde. "And, she's not emergency food."

Before I could question the girl further, Katheryne cutted in, taking us back to the main point. "So, can you teach the basics to Mr. Charlie? Lumine, Paimon? The adventurer's guild will pay some handsome Mora if you accept."

"We accept!" Paimon said, nodding excitingly.

"Your agenda is showing, Paimon. Your obsession with Mora is quite impressive."

Huh, by the looks of it Mora is money in this world. Didn't know that. I've seen idly some merchants with some golden coins, now I have a name for that, good. Lumine idle looked at me, from head to toes.

"But, we'll accept the commission. You can leave him in our hands."

"Huh, thanks.." All of this happened rather quickly. Though I wasn't going to complain, I've been itching to see what this world has to offer, the vast landscapes I managed to see from a distance and what else I can find in the wild. True, I still haven't seen the rest of the city, but that can wait for a bit.

"Alright, let's go then. You can leave him in our hands, Katheryne. We'll be back later." After giving our goodbyes, I started walking along with Lumine and Paimon. Before I noticed we were exiting the city of Mondstadt and the large stone bridge stood before us. A feeling of excitement ran through me as I could start to see more of the plains outside Mondstadt.

"So, Charlie! Katheryne said you were also a Traveler like Lumine, over here. Where are you from? Can you tell us a little more about yourself?" Paimon's voice jolted me back to the present.

"Where I'm from?;" Oh shoot. This would be a tricky question. "Well, you know… I've been here and there; wherever the wind takes me." Lumine didn't say anything, but I noticed she was listening.

"And for what I do… Hmmm, well, as you can see, I was looking for a job earlier this morning, that's because I don't have a single Mora on me." I turned towards the girl with a grin on my face.

"But! I'm a photographer through and through. That is my profession!"

"A…Photographer? That's a job?"

"Well, it could be if you sell the photos or take some sort of commission, but that's not the case for me. You see, Paimon, I want to capture beautiful moments in my camera, it's just something I like to do, especially landscape and nature photos, those are my favorites and my specialty." I made a pause, as I looked around the landscape and took a deep breath of morning air. Lush rolling hills and the grass blades dancing through the wind, I continued following Lumine and Paimon, who knows where she'll take me.

"Amber had a little bit of trouble on what a camera was, but you two seem to get the idea."

"Oh, you know Amber?" The blonde suddenly chimed in, being mostly silent through our walk.

"Yeah, she has helped me a lot since I arrived in Mondstadt. Actually, she saved me from a bunch of… hilichurls…? I think she called them."

"Those pesky hilichurls;" Paimon grumbled. "You should be careful around them Charlie. True, they aren't that strong but they still can be dangerous." Paimon warmed me, then suddenly she had a smug expression on her face."But those hilichurls and lawchurls can't even touch Lumine and Paimon, were strong like that."

"Is that so?" I asked the child with an amused smirk. "Then you have my compliments, mighty Paimon, you must be some kind of renowned knight…"

My conversation slowly died down as my eyes drifted from Paimon to the horizon. There, amidst the vast expanse of emerald plains, a spectacle unfolded before me. A verdant tapestry stretched as far as the eye could see, painting the landscape in hues of vibrant green. The gentle sway of wildflowers danced in the breeze, adding a touch of whimsy to the scene.

And towering above it all, a colossal tree stood sentinel against the azure sky. Its towering branches reached towards the skies like outstretched arms, adorned with lush foliage that whispered secrets to the wind. The trunk, as wide as a small house, bore the scars of time, each gnarled knot a testament to centuries of existence.

"Quite impressive, right?" Lumine asked besides, noticing my awed expression.

"...Yeah, it's a sight to behold." Without even meaning to, my hands reached for my backpack, and I placed it on the ground, without even tearing my eyes away from the scene before me, my hands reached for the camera case within my backpack. I could feel the confused stares of both Lumine and Paimon, but I didn't mind.

Opening the case I grabbed the camera and started assembling it, choosing the right lense, I was ready for the picture. I sat on the ground for better stability and placed the camera on my knee, acting for stability and my finger poised over the shutter button.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still. The hustle and bustle of life melted away, leaving only me and the ancient tree, bound together by the silent language of photography. As I peered through the viewfinder, my breath caught in my throat, and all my concentration focused into the scene.

*Click! Click! Click!*

I reviewed the recently snapped photos of the ancient tree, and felt satisfied with my work.

"Oh! Oh! Charlie, let Paimon take a look!"

"Oh, of course, let me hear what you think after you finish seeing them." And I passed the camera carefully to Lumine. Paimon peeked over her shoulder to get a better view on the photos.

"Wow, Charlie;" Lumine said in an impressed tone. "Your kamera looks really advanced and modern…! It's no wonder how you can get this quality of photos."

"Yeah Lumine is right! It's almost as if you trapped the whole tree in your kamera thingy!"

I felt pride swell in my chest. "Well, photography looks as if you could capture a brief moment in time, I guess that's kind of the beauty of it."

Lumine gave Charlie a side eye, observing him quietly. Eventually she patted the man's back.

"C'mon, let's get a closer look." Grabbing my stuff quickly, I stored away the camera case, but kept the camera on me, tied with a camera strap hanging from my neck. As we made our way to the unnamed tree, I noticed the various chirpings of the birds getting louder and louder as we approached, pointing out the amount of shelter the tree provided to the various animals and the like.

"Charlie watch out!"

Before I could react, I felt a hard push in my stomach, and suddenly I was pushed to the ground by some force. It wasn't that painful, but it took me off guard and all the air left my lungs with a quick shove.

"Cough, Cough, What gives!?" As if answering my questions, a medium sized ball-like creature appeared from some tall grass. It was a blue round creature, with large white eyes staring at me, almost like expecting something. Even though I have never seen a creature like this since arriving in this world, I knew exactly what the creature was.

"A…Slime?"

The slime then tensed as it looked at me, its liquid like body wobbling with anticipation, ready to pounce at me. It jumped my way, just as fast as before. I widened my eyes in surprise, having been too late to know its intention, so I tensed my stomach knowing I wouldn't be able to move out of the way.

Slash!

Lumine rushed towards the creature, a simple yet sharp silver sword in her hand. With a swift and precise strike, she slashed the slime in the middle, the strike pushed the slime back, rolling through the air and hitting the ground, quickly dissipating into the ground, defeated.

"Are you alright Charlie!? That slime hit you right in your tummy!" Paimon floated my way, with concern painted across her features.

"I-I'm fine, it just caught me off guard, but I'm not injured or something."

My gaze turned towards Lumine, who still had the sword in her hand. It was quite a surprise, that the girl turned out to be a swordswoman, with a precise strike she managed to dispatch the slime. With a real sword too! A part of me wanted to geek out at the sword and wanted to take a closer look, but I could do that later. And it was a bit embarrassing to be honest.

"That was a… slime, right?" I asked the blonde, as I stood from the ground and dusted my clothes off.

"Correct. It was a Hydro slime, they are pretty common in all of Teyvat and are usually near bodies of water. My apologies Charlie, I didn't manage to warn you in time."

"It's fine, no real harm done." She shot me a wry smile, a little bit embarrassed of her mistake but still grateful.

A rustling sound put Lumine alert once again, before I could ask what's wrong a huge slime jumped out of the tall grass, attempting to crush the swordswoman under its weight, Lumine quickly rolled out of the way, and the slime crashed down hard, I felt the vibrations of the slam through my feet. This slime was massive, it was as tall as me, and I think double– No, triple sized than the slime from before.

Just behind the big slime, a small horde of small slimes jumped towards the girl's way. She dodged the incoming slime attack skilfully, rushing out of the way and even countering with her sword, blocking and attacking back. It was an impressive sight, the girl was truly impressive, she seemed to dance with the slimes in a flurry of slashes.

Lumine's body tensed, eyeing the slimes with sharp eyes. In a sudden moment, almost too quick for my eyes to follow, a series of slashes, striked the slimes simultaneously. It happened so quickly, I barely saw what happened and it was impressive.

The small horde of slimes quickly dissipated, defeated, but the larger one still had some fight left. The slime, now wary of the swordsman skills, bounced faster than before, catching Lumine off guard. The slime was dangerously close to her, and even if she managed to hit it with her sword, it could just tank the hit, and strike Lumine.

To my surprise, the girl didn't even seem fazed. Silently, she raised a hand towards the slime, and what happened next almost looked like magic. The winds seemed to gather force, and a light blue energy ball started to concentrate in the girl's hand.

'What is that?' I thought silently.

I noticed, it was the very wind concentrated in her hand, swirling and rotating at incredible speeds. With each passing second gaining more force and speed, the wind gets more violent. It even managed to rustle my clothes and hair, and I wasn't even that close! By now, the slime was too late to realize what happened and jumped straight into the violent wind conjured by the blonde. The slime was shredded to watery pieces soon after and exploded in a soft goo-ey rain. I quickly noticed how I didn't like slime against my skin. Ew.

She then looked at Paimon and I, and with a flash of golden light, her sword disappeared into the void, as if it was never here in the first place. "Are you two alright?"

"That was amazing…!" I exclaimed, looking at the girl in a brand new light. "How do you do that? Was that magic? Can I learn it too!?" I quickly noticed how the girl's smile started to strain, attempting to answer all of my rapid-fire questions. I backed up a little after that.

"Umm… Sorry about that…" I said looking away, a little embarrassed.

"Huh, who would've thought Mr. Shutterbug, could be a geek when he wants too." Paimon commented to Lumine with a smirk on her face. The girl on the other hand, tried to hide her laugh, and failed miserably under her hand. I shot the floating child with an unimpressed look.

"Har, Har. I'll have you to know that I'm a pro and the whole photography thing!" At least I think so, but she doesn't need to know that. "But how did you do that?" I asked the blonde.

"I practiced swordplay with my brother years ago, and I have the power to control the Anemo element." Paimon puffed her chest out, like a parent feeling proud for their child.

"Yeah! Lumine is special like that, she has the power to control the elements without a vision!"

"What's a vision?"

Immediately both of them stiffed and shot me incredulous looks. Judging by their looks, I immediately knew I messed up. I said something I shouldn't. Lumine and Paimon exchanged looks, nervousness grew inside me.

"You know… the gift from the gods and allows people to wield one of the seven elements…? That vision? Rings a bell?" Paimon questioned me with a confused look.

"A-Ah, yes those Visions! Sorry I got confused for a moment.!" A nervous laugh escaped me, and Paimon narrowed her eyes on me.

"What are the seven elements vision can fall into?"

"Huh?"

"The elements. How are they called?" Paimon questioned me. Fortunately for me, Venti told me of this the night before.

"Anemo, Pyro, Hydro, Geo, Dendro, Cryo and Electro." I answered quickly. Paimon only narrowed her eyes more, as if trying to pry into my very soul. "Hmph. Guess you really got confused… Charlie you're a bit of a dummy ain't ya!"

"Oi, I'm no dummy, Sassy lost child, thank you very much." She huffed but didn't say anything.

As Paimon continued to argue with Charlie, he missed the intense look Lumine was giving the man, even though she did not question the man like Paimon, she has a feeling that something is off about him, but what exactly?

We continued walking towards the tree, and we found ourselves at the base of the tree. Now looking at it up close, I could appreciate the sheer size of the tree. The log alone was about the size of a small house, who knows how old the tree is!

"Oh? What's that?" At the bottom of the tree, I saw another stone statue, just like the one I saw yesterday sitting in the middle of a small pond. Looking at it up close, I noticed it was exactly the same hooded and angel-like figure holding an orb in its hands.

"Another statue…" I said as I passed my fingers through the rough stone. Huh, for all intent and purposes it was just a normal rock statue, a little weathered by the elements but I still could make out the figure in the top.

"Oh! A statue of the seven!" Paimon exclaimed as she looked at the statue.

"A statue of the seven?" I parroted back.

Yeah. There are statues like this all over the world! These statues represent an archon and are placed in the territory the archon ruled." Paimon explained.

"This is the Anemo Archon, right?" I asked my floating guide.

"Yup! Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. Though he left the city of Monstadt years ago, and its people haven't seen him since he left, his worship song still remains strong to this day."

I'm gonna stop you right there, the Anemo archon is a 'he'? I thought the statue represented a girl. Though if you narrow your eyes, I guess it can be pretty difficult to discern if it's male or female; Especially since it's a statue…"

Looking at the stone statue and the grand tree behind it, really painted a mystical and nature vibe. So I did what I do best. I wanted to take a new photo of the tree. Stepping back from them, I reached the base of the statue just behind some destroyed stone staircase. With a quick motion, I placed my camera to my eyes, and my finger hovering over the shutter button.

It was a quick picture, not all that impressive to the previous one, but still a good one. Even Lumine and Paimon posed and smiled at the camera, how amusing, it still felt nice though. While taking some pictures, I noticed a shine through the lens of the camera, hovering and floating without a clear route in mind.

Taking my eye out of the camera, I noticed it wqasn't something with my camera, but there was something shiny floating in the air, they looked like little diamonds with wings, floating aimlessly and fluttering their crystal like wings through the air. They were really pretty, and the light of the sun bounced off their bodies. In the shadows of the tree, this little butterflies looked like tiny stars.

"Woah…! What are those…?" I asked in a low voice.

"Those are Anemo Crystalflies." Lumine answered for me. "Their core absorbs elemental energy from the air that gives them their unique glow and color. They tend to gather around a high concentration of elemental energy." I just listened to what the blonde said, like a student in a classroom.

"But that's enough sightseeing, let's get to the point of this trip." Lumine suddenly said, and she had a point, but I still wanted to keep looking at new stuff! Sigh, maybe later. Lumine then materialized a map from somewhere and placed it on the ground in front of me.

"This is a map of Mondstadt, divided by areas and points of interest. Since this is a map from the adventurer's guild, it also says how dangerous it could be." She made sure I was paying attention to her words and I just nodded a bit.

"Mondstadft is mainly divided by five big areas," She made a pause. "Starfell Valley, Windwail Highland, Galesong hill, Brightcrown Mountains and lastly Dragonspine. The first two areas should be relatively safe, even if you don't know your way in a fight, you should be fine."

"Galesong hill, its a medium danger zone, more experienced adventurers usually go there, since a lot of hilichurl camps are posted there. So that means Mitachurls and Samachurls are right behind." Now that she mentions it, we weren't all that far from Galesong hill.

"Brightcrown Mountains are pretty dangerous, but for different reasons."

"What do you mean?"

"The number of monsters are pretty much the same as in Galesong Hills, but the terrain, canyons and nearby forest pose a problem. For starters, wolvendom would be your first obstacle, but also there are pretty dangerous ruins nearby."

'C'mon, don't say that, you're giving me even more reasons to visit that place!'

"Finally there's Dragonspine." She then made a complicated face, before turning serious once again. "In good faith, I can't stress enough how bad of an idea it would be to visit Dragonspine at your current self. There are a lot of very powerful monsters and you'll freeze to death if you go without any sort of preparations. Don't go there, please."

"Got it. I'll stay away from those places for now."

Lumine then pulled the map away, and materialized a small book. 'A adventurer's guide book' said on the cover of the book. "Alright, Charlie. Let's review some of the most importants things you have to know. Let 's begin!" I had the feeling she was going to make me study as if I were studying for an exam. Not exactly my strong suit.

After that, I kept reviewing all of the things Lumine taught me, for example, since elemental energy is pretty common all around Teyvat, one can take advantage of them using 'Elemental Reactions' making elements interact with each other to create different types of effects. She also made emphasis in the practice of self-defense, at least on some level. Now, I'm not completely lost in a fight, but compared to what I've seen so far, she made a valid point, but for the time being I have my axe in case of something unexpected.

After a while of studying and Lumine making me study till I could basically recite all of that from memory, we decided to take a break. By now, the sun was starting to hide itself over the horizon, night fast approaching, but we still had a few hours left, so we decided to have a break to enjoy nature and simply appreciate the landscape.

"Hey, Lumine," I started, both of us sitting over a large rock and watching some fish swimming in the river that ran behind the ancient tree. "Why did you decide to become an adventurer? That is if you don't mind me asking."

"...Being an adventurer isn't my main goal, just a means to an end." The blonde said, while looking at the fish. Paimon remained behind her, giving her a look of sympathy, but overall, she remained quiet.

"What do you mean?"

The girl remained quiet for a bit contemplating her answer. "...I'm looking for my brother, a god took him away a while ago, and I'm looking for him."

"Yeah," Paimon chimed in. "We're looking for the seven, maybe they can help her to find her brother."

I nodded slowly, by now I had a brief understatement of how this world worked. Therefore, I knew the arduous task of this. After all, you're trying to meet with a patron god.

"Did you have any success finding the Anemo Archon?"

"Not yet, but, just like you, I arrived in the city not that long ago, so I haven't been trying hard enough looking for the archon."

"I see… So that means that you'll move on once you find the god, is that right?"

"Yeah, but there's still a while before that happens, so don't worry, you'll still have to bear with me for a little while." Lumine said with a soft grin, making me chuckle. "What about you Charlie? So far you've been giving me the impression of a lost tourist."

I remained silent for a moment, gathering my thoughts before answering. "Well, I guess that in a way, I'm a tourist or something along the line." I paused as I observed the fish swimming under us. "Unlike you, I don't have a grand purpose to be here, I guess I just want to take some cool pictures." I replied with a wry smile.

"There is no such thing as a grand reason or purpose Charlie," Lumine continued. "As long as it's meaningful to you, that should be 'grand' enough, don't you think?"

"...That's… surprisingly insightful," I said with somewhat wide eyes. "Huh, thanks."

"You can always count on Lumine if you're feeling down or you need a hand in anything! That's Lumine for you!" Paimon chimed. I only shot a grateful smile to both of them. This vast world is unlike anything I have ever seen before, it feels so surreal and yet, so alive.

'Growl!'

Both of the girls shot a surprised look towards me. I feigned ignorance for as long as I could, but I could feel some heat creeping up my cheeks.

"Pfff… Muahahaha!" Paimon exploded laughing, not a care in the world, meanwhile Lumine laughed more softly than Paimon but without any reservation either. "Wow, you certainly have a beast inside your stomach!"

"Quit it midget, before I make you emergency food for real." I said embarrassed.

"Paimon is not emergency food!" She snapped back at me.

"Well," The blonde started. "I guess we've been out for a while, what about we go back to Mondstadt to eat something. I could go for a bite too."

"Yes! Paimon agrees too, Paimon can always go for something to eat!"

Having said that, we bid our goodbyes to the majestic trees and made our way back to Mondstadt. This little trip had been fun, and based on what Lumine told me, there were still a lot of places left to explore, not to mention the city itself, since I haven't seen the upper part of the city. No matter how you looked at it, it was a win-win scenario, plus the ruins she briefly mentioned was taking my interest. If they're ruins nearby, that means there was an even older civilisation before Mondstaft right?

Before venturing too far from the towering tree, I suggested taking an alternate path if possible. I still harbored a desire to explore and soak in the sights, so taking the scenic route seemed like a promising idea. My companions agreed with my suggestion, seeing the merit in enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

However, as we set off down the alternate path, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. Despite my hopes for a change in scenery, the surroundings looked eerily familiar—just a little more foliage here, a touch more greenery there, but otherwise much the same as before.

'Twang!'

Something stuck the tree behind me. It passed whistling right besides my ear; Turning back to see what was that, I saw an arrow stuck in the tree behind me. It was a rather simple and crude design, but it could do some damage. Wait, are we… being attacked?

From the trees and foliage, growls and rushed footspes filled the air. Before we could react, we found ourselves surrounded by a band of ruthless Hilichurls and towering Mitachurls, their crude weapons raised menacingly as they launched their ambush. Paimon gasped in alarm as she exclaimed, "Oh no, we've been ambushed!" Now that I remember, Amber did say the hilichurl activity was oddly more active than usual.

Lumine's eyes narrowed in determination as she prepared to defend us against the onslaught of foes. "Stay close, everyone," she called out, her voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around us.

I grabbed my hand axe with a sweaty palm, ready for anything. What really bothered me were the big Mitachurls, one of them was using a wooden shield, while the other had a blazing two handed axe. Out of nowhere, the shield Mitachurl sprinted in a mad dash towards me, its intent clear as day. I knew there was nothing I could do in this situation, as fast as I could I dived out of the way of the maddening charge, the mitachurl passing through.

"Charlie!" I heard Paimon shout in concern. Without getting the chance to respond, I was surrounded by some hilichurls, wielding crude clubs and wooden shields. That charge separated me from Lumine and Paimon. With a warcry, I swung my axe towards one of the club-wielding hilichurl with a strike of my axe, the hilichurl was sent flying backwards, the wooden club flying out of its hand.

Two other hilichurls quickly stepped in to replace the one defeated, this time one with a shield and the other with a wooden club. Meanwhile, Lumine had her own badge of enemies swarming her, but unlike me she skillfully danced in a series of slashes and anemo cuts. But even then, they still were a lot of enemies, you could see she was giving all of her focus, and this fight was taking a toll on her.

The hilichurl with a club, swatted the wooden club at me, but I managed to block it with my axe. I felt the impact revert through my body, but I stood firmly. Clenching my fist, I punched the creature with all my might straight through the mask, and I could feel it break under my fist.

My heart was pounding strongly against my chest, adrenaline running through my system. I have never been in a fight this intense before! But I managed to keep some semblance of calm. Lumine was a skilful swordswoman, and she could make quick work out of them and then help me, so we weren't in that bad of a situation–.

A sharp pain invaded my body. My eyes roamed towards the area of pain, and my breath hitched. A bolt struck me just below my collarbone, firmly stuck in place. Slowly blood started to pour out of the wound, staining my shirt. Fear gripped my heart as my eyes were stuck at the bolt. The pain increased tenfold, and my knees succumbed to the ground, clutching my wound.

"Gahh!" Y cried in pain, tears threatening to flow out.

"Charlie!" Lumine shouted in worry and panic. "Paimon, go inspect Charlie, and tell me how bad it is!" Paimon nodded in worry and field over the him. Lumine furrowed her brows and clenched tightly her silver sword. Out of the sword, concentrated anemo energy exploded outwards, in the direction of the hilichurls, a sudden and violent tornado erupted from the edge of her sword, catching the creatures in its winds. The wind was sharp and violent, filling the hilichurls and Mitachurl in cuts, blood oozing from their wounds.

While the hilichurls were defeated, the Mitachurl still stood tall, its body filled with cuts, but not yet defeated, his axe started to glow brighter, as he infused the energy of a pyro slime into its weapon. Lumine snarled at the creature. "Out of my way…!"

I took deep breaths with glossy eyes, trying to calm myself. The bolt struck a non vital area, so I was fine, and as long as I don't touch or remove the bolt I should be fine. But it still hurts like hell!

"Lookout Charlie!" Paimon tried to warn me about the other shielder hilichurl, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to move out of the way. Panic invaded me once more, and I could only tense my body for the impact.

Paimon saw this and flew over really quick. "Hey you stinky!" She tried to provoke the hilichurl by flying over it and annoying it, to give me some time to move out of the way. The hilichurl tried swatting Paimon out of the air, swinging its club wildly and without any technique. Paimon continued to distract the creature, giving me enough time to grab my axe again and with a cry struck the hilichurl while it was distracted.

The hilichurl dropped defeated, and I shot Paimon a look, panting and clutching my wound. "T-Thank you Paimon, you really saved me from a nasty hit." I said gratefully towards the floating child. She smiled too, white also panting. "You're welcome Charlie, companions are supposed to watch each other's back, right?" Before I could say anything, the next moments all passed as if I was seeing everything in slow motion. I saw how Pimon's eyes slowly started to widen, and slowly her expression turned into panic. I looked back, and I suddenly understood the why of her reaction. The Mitachurl from before was rushing straight at me again, and this time, it seemed it was going to miss. Without thinking twice, I pushed Paimon out of the way.

I felt the impact of the shield through all of my body, and felt some cracks and pain invading my body. I coppery taste filled my mouth as my back struck a tree with force. I tried gasping for air, but no oxygen was entering my lungs. I was in a frenzy of bloody coughs and gasping for air, my lungs not deciding which ones to do first. My vision was starting to grow hazy, and blackness started to creep in from the corner of my eyes.

The mitachurl raised both of its burly arms, ready to finish me off with a powerful blow. I could see Lumine rushing towards me, running as fast as she could, and the defeated mitachurl on the ground with deep slashes covering its body. Even though she was running as fast as she could I knew she wasn't going to make it. And judging by her face, she knew the same.

I raised my arm, my last and futile attempt to delay the inevitable. But even then it filled me with anger and desperation. I wanted to see the rest of the world. Explore new lands, meet new people, and make a name for myself. I wanted to make my father and my family proud. Become a pro photographer. It wasn't fair and that pissed me off.

Suddenly, I felt a bubbling sensation growing in my chest. It was warm, and started to grow out and expand. What was this? This… energy flowed through my body rapidly, going from the tip of my toes all the way to my hair. My outstretched hand felt warm and numbed my fingertips. A loud and primal cry escaped my lips, and the energy inside me seemed to intensity.

In the palm of my hands, a light blue-green sphere of energy concentrated, gaining force violently. It grew rapidly and then exploded in a crescent form straight towards the Mitachurl. The energy dissipated, with wind rustling the leaves and foliage around us. For a moment nothing happened, but slowly the light faded from the mitachurls' eyes. Slowly the upper half of the creature slided from its torso, hitting the ground not so after. Even after such a gruesome sight, my mind couldn't register any of it.

'I'm alive… I'm alive….'

My vision started to black out, all the pain and exhaustion taking a toll on me, and the only thing that I wanted to do more than anything was to close my eyes. And sleep for a little bit. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the worried expression of Paimon trying to tell me something while clutching my chest. Sadly I couldn't hear anything she said, at least not clearly. Lumine had an odd expression, she looked worried and tended my immediate wounds, but the look on her eyes was… concerning. A mixture of worry… and suspicion.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, it's been a while. I don't really have a lot to say exepct to thank you for reading, and well all of my stories will be slow in updates. That doesnt mean I'm not interested in them anymore, it's just that writing at the end of the day is a hobby for me, but I also have more hobbies so I don't commit fully to one thing. But anyways, that's all folks. Slow updates.