"Vanko, where the fuck are we?" Man with a black hair asked, speaking from below his red rectangular shield as the small boat ran ashore on the beach.
"Where Sparkling Star led us, Vstanko!" Man with ginger beard on the lead added, jumping down from the boat onto the sand, smacking his chainmail boots with a distinct mix of clangs and bangs of chain hitting each other back and forth. "Now get down here!"
"Hey now, the day sky has no stars!" Vstanko continued to insist, having several others similar to him peek from behind with a triangular helmet, rectangular red shields and slings attached to the back. "Are you sure The Star led us here?"
"By my beard and life, I promise!" Vanko proclaimed, turning back to them, raiding his shield in the left and short ax in the right upward as if he was about to chant. "Now get down you lot! We have to find our promise!"
"Whatever you say, Boss…"
"That's… Almost the entire City you showed me." Sans scratched his head as he and Klee sat down at the staircase before Cathedral. "Something we missed?"
"Nnn…nnno!" Klee responded with a smug tone. "I showed you the entire City!"
"Well, that's nice." Sans nodded. "Mind if we go eat something?"
"I am hungry too!" Klee added, then looking straight at Sans. "Where will we eat?"
"Not sure, let me check…" Sans commented, reaching out to his pocket and taking out his empty hand. "Right… I got nothing."
"Soo…"
"But I think I know a place where we can get money for it!"
"These lands are rather sparse of game." Hakh said, throwing another Hilichurl mask into a bonfire-like stack with several other Iramati warriors around it. "Not sure if hunting on this land will be even doable."
"Oy now, at least we have something to do." One of them commented, tossing another one from behind himself. "Be content, my worthy companion."
"I just… I just, don't feel like settling down yet, like something is incomplete." Hakh added, looking up as the lone cloud passed over them. "I kinda want to… Be a hunter forever, like we always were."
"Really?"
"Really, really... Just because there is only one type of weird creature to hunt doesn't mean we have to give up this tradition altogether."
"Nice dream-A!" Another warrior tried to ridicule, but was cut short as purple lightning cut into the offering stack, igniting it with purple fire which in near instant returned purple lightning bolt back to the sky. "What is this?!"
"Whoa…" Hakh gasped, standing still while other Iramati backed away from the mystical occurrence. But to no need, as the event was quickly over and all the gathered masks were gone. And in their place was located a golden sphere with hollow inside.
"... What is this… Thing?"
"A gift from Heavens?"
"How did lightning come without a storm?"
"I am not sure, but." Hakh smiled weakly to react from stress, hastly walking forward and slowly picking up the item, whose inner sphere ignited with purple light, showing an oriental symbol. "I saw this item on the clothes of a Mondstadtian envoy called Eula." He added, then taking out his bow and shooting a quick arrow up into the sky, seeing it leave a trail of purple light after itself. "And I am confident… That my gift is similar to hers."
"I see it now!" One warrior proclaimed, creaking his eyes with fists. "Our young Hakh has been chosen by God to lead us in future!"
"To the tribe!" Another one called, while Hakh seemingly rolled along with it, despite visible sweat on the forehead no one else bothered about.
"Oy! Oy! OYRAAA!"
"Oy! Oy! OYRAAA!"
"An acclamation cry?" Kadiq asked, looking deep into the forest. "No, too soon… Too soon…" He groaned, grabbing himself by the forehead and looking down onto the grass.
"You don't just dispute God's will." Lily added, standing behind him with crossed arms. "You know it, we aren't like some of those people on the old continent."
"But… How come I don't see God divine glaze?" Kadiq asked himself. "Boucefalos clear doubt for all of his herd…"
"Ever thought that… We aren't the herd?" Lily asked him dubiously.
"... No, it's them compromising the good name of our God." Kadiq quickly rationalized, turning around to face her with dramatically spread arms. "They want a Khan afraid to say his will, so they can have their own privilege enforced with ease!"
"Privilege?" Lily asked him, then standing up after a while in silence. "You're delusional, and two-faced."
"How else are WE supposed to ensure our tribe survives?" Kadiq asked her, his tone momentarily turning hectic.
"... How about not dividing ourselves?" Lily asked him back, slowly walking away. "Either way, I need to go and hear who was chosen as the next Khan, though I know it can't be Ike…"
"..." Kadiq didn't respond, instead just blandly staring in the place where Lily was no longer standing. As if he was frozen in time, forced to watch one last view of his life. "... It can't be… Can't be someone submissive…"
"How is Sans and Klee?" Jean asked, looking up from the documentation on her desk to see Lisa walking into her office.
"From what I heard, great." Lisa responded, walking up to the window and staring at the view outside. "But I guess we shouldn't praise the day before sunset."
"Thank you." Jean responded shortly, instantly getting back to the task at hand.
"... You don't think you need someone more to help you with work?" Lisa asked her.
"No, thank you." Jean answered. "After all, you still have your duties to go with."
"Very well." Lisa nodded, slowly heading back to where she came from. "But if you change your mind, just tell us."
"I will, thank you." Jean almost nodded, before Lisa closed the door behind herself.
"Not much of a talker when at work?" Tan-skinned man with shining navy blue hair and black eyepatch over his right eye, with clothes being a mix of exotic and stereotype pirate garments.
"I know, Kaeya." Lisa nodded, briefly closing her eyes as if to collect her thoughts before looking back at the leaning by the wall coworker. "Sans might have hit her on a sensitive topic…"
"Well, from what I heard he's a nice guy hiding something." Kaeya responded, bo Ing away from the wall to a casual standing position. "But he doesn't seem malicious."
"For us, that is." Lisa added. "Oh, how tiring it is to engage in something…"
"That's how exchange works." Kaeya shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. "Either way, I think I'm gonna do my thing. You?"
"There is a certain someone late on the book return." Lisa made a deviously glare. "Give her a spark from you?"
"Heheh, I don't mind…"
"For a small city, it sure is living." Vstanko commented, as his group of twenty or so warriors made their way in a tight group across the street, having their unusual set of weaponry be an explicit distinguisher among a weirdly uninterested crowd.
"I know!" Men behind him with a blonde beard added. "Maybe they have a housing crisis?"
"Shut up Sigurd." Vanko cut in, raising his left hand up and making the entire group stop. "Alright, man. I have a question." He said, turning around to face them. "Does anyone know how to find a promise?"
"... Why won't we just ask the locals?" Man from the last row asked, raising up his bandaged right hand.
"Good idea Simon." Vanko nodded with amusement. "But which one?"
"... How about her?" Vstanko suggested, pointing a bit ahead to his own left.
"Hm?" Vanko raised his eyebrow, turning after the index finger to see a small table with a petite girl in a bodysuit and with hat sitting on a stool. "Her?"
"She looks funny, like those mystical wizards in our home, but brightly dressed." Vstanko continued.
"Exactly." Simon nodded. "If anyone knows a local promise, it must be her."
"That's good." Vanko nodded. "But we have another issue."
"What is it now?" Vstanko asked him.
"Do we have an offering?"
"... Crap." Sigurd cursed.
"I know." Vanko nodded. "But we can't just run in and take the Gods for granted." Vanko added. "We must give them anything in gratitude for guidance."
"... Human sacrifice?" Simon suggested.
"Been ages since anyone did that, but sure." Vanko nodded. "Alright, We'll hold a vote-"
"I don't accept live offerings!"
"... What?" Vanko asked, as the whole group turned ahead to see the girl stand up with the hands placed on the table.
"You heard me. I don't accept any live offerings." She repeated. "And while I don't want to use astrology for profit, fortunę telling is another thing. So please, mora, eventually non-rotten food and personal items."
"... Okay I got it." Vstanko nodded, proceeding ahead as he pulled out a solid bar of silver from behind his back.
"With silver?! You have no honor!" Vanko lamented, dropping onto his knees. "At least give her something strong, like iron!"
"I'll take it." She responded as with a gentle move of her left arm she summoned a water-made astrologia circle beside her. "Now then, please place the offerings and state the future you want to know."
"We are here to seek after the promise of the Sparkling Star." Vstanko said, keenly observing as the circle started to move its rings back and forth. "We wish to know if we came to the right place."
"Hmm… that's quite little for such an item." Mona commented, then took a look at her watery circles and rings. "... I see that your spark is exactly in this city."
"Hurrah!" Nineteen men cheered from behind while Vstanko almost shook from anticipation.
"And as for the future… She will be most grateful to all of you with great luck granted by her own constellation. But you will be binded to stay in this place for a long time." She added, looking straight at his eyes as if she tried to communicate some hidden concern.
"We will take it, for the promise demands it." Vstanko agreed, stepping away from the table. "Thank you, kind stranger."
"It will be Mona Megistus for you next time." She responded with prideful scowl. "But remember to seek a girl dressed in red with a face full of sunshine."
"Will be done. Thank you, Mona Megistus." Vstanko agreed, giving a half-bow before running back to his group. "You heard her, we seek the girl dressed in red with a face full of sunshine."
"Aye!"
"And a small salad for me." Sans said, as he and Klee sat down on one table outside one of the food stores.
"Do you know anything we can do while we wait for food?" Klee asked, staring at Sans and waving her legs like scissors. "I'm so booored!"
"Hmm…" Sans wondered, rubbing his chin before noticing someone in a chainmail coming their way. "How about we talk with local people?"
"Sounds good to me!" Klee agreed. "I want to have many, many friends!"
"Well, worth the try." Sans nodded, after which they both looked at the person incoming with like ninety more following after him. And they all had to look somewhere like this: Chainmail armor over the whole torso and boots, brown or gray leather pants, round and sometimes old metallic helmets that covered their heads above the neck with exceptions for faces that only had a single streak of metal over the nose. Other than that, they openly carried axes attached to the right side of pants and rectangular red shields over long slings on the back.
"Mind if we join you for a sitting?" Man before them asked, showing off his rich ginger beard to them.
"Not sure if you can sit, but yea." Sans nodded, inviting them with a wave of his hand for two remaining stools.
"Ha! We are tough men of the sea." Man in chainmail laughed, taking his shield and sling, fixing them together in a way that somehow formed a chair thanks to a shield having a movable part in the middle with an inside metallic chain. "Such is the third 'S' of Slajland."
"Third 'S'?" Klee asked.
"Salt, sling, supposing. In that order." Man said, as the other two with gray and black hair sat by the stools on his left and right. With others making their own shield-chairs close to them as if they really didn't want to clog the road. "And we once supposed that having chairs at all times is a good thing."
"Ooohhh…" Klee gasped in amazement.
"But we are grateful to meet you." He added, facing his head towards her."
"Umm… What about him?" Man in black hair asked, tilting his head towards Sans.
"It isn't about him, Vstanko." Man with a red beard responded, then looked at the white-haired companion. "Simon, is it about him?"
"We need to ask, kh, kh." He responded, clearing his throat before looking at him. "Do you feel involved in this meeting?"
"Well, I am supposed to guard the kid here for a day." Sans responded casually. "So… Yes?"
"Mhm, he is involved."
"Thanka Simon." Man in the middle agreed. "But enough about individuals…"
"Not yet." Sans counterpointed. "Who are you?"
"Vanko. Leader of this very warrior group from Slajland." Man presented himself, gently petting his red beard with pride. "We came here from the east, following the promise of a Sparkling Star."
"Hmm… That's a second visitor from there." Sans nodded. "But be welcome nothenless. What's the promise of yours?"
"To find, and protect the Star, for it will bring happiness to our family and land." Vanko explained.
"So preached priests of our land, far and wide as eye can see and ear can hear." Simon added.
"Huh, that sounds important." Sans nodded, looking away at Klee, who so far was showing keen interest. "Are you fine with them being around for you?"
"Of course I am! Master Jean won't have to worry about me anymore!" Klee agreed with a cheer.
"Welp, we still will have to ask her after the day, but we are on a good route." Sans commented. "Now then, I hope you guys have what to eat for, cuz' I'm out of money."
"Pfah! Exclusiveness." Vanko shrugged him off as he pulled out a line of what seemed like marinated fish. "Land of salt that doesn't conserve food? Grow up, would you?"
"No need to be so salty." Sans responded with a wink.
"Haha. Good one, funny, kind man." Vstanko nodded.
"Either way, let us feast for a prosperous future!" Vanko called, raising his fish stick up.
"AYE!"
"Hmm… Didn't expect to not notice any Hilichurls on the way." Eula commented, walking ahead along Iramati warrior in between a mix of tents, animal pens and other easily moved ways of settlement.
"We don't have other things to hunt at. Green jellies and wizard blobs either stay too far away or aren't worthy of hunting." Warrior explained, looking around as they proceeded back to an old path, along which settlement was made. "Anyway, you wanted to…"
"Take your maps for Knights of Favonius to copy. Mika was very interested in expanding our own archive as well and I thought I may make him a present." Eula explained.
"You will have to speak about it with Khan's son, Ike." Iramati pointed out.
"I heard of him when your tribe first met us." Eula said. "I sure hope he isn't as hostile to contact as your tribesman stories tell."
"They did not come from nothingness." Warrior explained as they made a turn to the left after him and stopped before above average in width white yurt. "But since you aren't Iramati, he will surely be nice to you. Just don't go out of your way and you'll have what you seek."
"Will do, thank you for your assistance." Eula nodded firmly before they parted ways and she went ahead, entering the tent and stopping dead in her tracks as she saw insides filled with books, formuła and various forms of writing.
"Oh, Captain Eula." Warm, weak tone greeted her as from below the ground came a thin teenager in black clothing, walking up to her in a slalom in between evenly located books. "I heard of your deeds at Wangshu Inn. And I am Ike, honored to meet you."
"Likewise, Ike." Eula nodded. "I came to ask if you would be interested in a process of map sharing?"
"Map sharing?" Ike smiled. "Why stop at that?"
"... And you suggest?" Eula questioned, mildly unsure.
"Why won't I move into your great city, sharing all of my work and continue to produce as part of your historian branch?" He proposed with genuine enthusiasm, even if his health didn't let it show.
"You would have to agree to sleep on a floor for a time."
"I literally live in a dirt hole here. Anything goes by my standard."
"... Fair then." Eula agreed. "But before we proceed with details, another question."
"Proceed." Ike nodded.
"The slanderous words of your own tribesman about you…" Eula began. "How much of it is true?"
"... Isolation definitely is." Ike nodded. "In a tribe, you can't have middle ground between with or against. We must stay together to survive together, or die split apart."
"Then your interest in other ways of life than the tribes…" Eula concluded slowly, giving him a communicative nod.
"Is stepping out of formation." Ike almost sighed. "Being together for Iramati isn't just blood or faith, but also the mindset that unites it all. As soon as you think that books are worth keeping, living in dirt holes under a tent or that others may be better than us, you are no longer Iramati."
"That's… Troublesome." Eula commented. "But you're sure it's not out of malice?"
"Absolutely." Ike confirmed. "It's a communal mentality. Can't blame them for that."
"Very well then, I'll try to arrange for our library to permit the inclusion of your works." Eula concluded with mildly visible relief. "Just be aware that the positive outcome isn't guaranteed."
"As taught me the last two years." Ike added, his cheek suddenly turning soft on the visual outside. "Whatever the end result, thank you for help."
"To be frank, I did so out of interest in what your maps contained rather than empathy." Eula responded.
"Oh, well. Beggars can't be choosers."Ike shrugged his shoulders again. "Still, you wanted to leave with the maps?"
"Indeed."
"Then I can spare them, gonna be busy with making our new lands anyways…"