Loose apologies for how big the chapter is. Trying to break it up didn't feel right, and I incidentally decided to try and make each arc/region only three chapters as a result. On the flip side it's so very personally satisfying to me to have a 7k chapter again.
Deflect and cross in. Pommel strike into retreating rising slash. Otto stumbled back from the two hit attack, his cheek redding from the path the tip of her practice blade took.
Amber held back an irritated huff. Most of the talent within the Knights had been sent away, accompanying Grand Master Varka on his expedition. The leftover dregs were those who, on paper, were unlucky enough to be asked to stay behind. The real answer was that they were unable to meet standards and thus had to stay behind lest they become a liability. That wasn't to say they were bad, just that they were better suited towards dealing with the odd hilichurl or thief, not monsters or brigands.
Amber side-stepped a thrust, countering with a kick to Otto's thigh. In the next second, she whirled around him and kicked him forward, leveling the tip of her weapon at his neck.
"I yield," he said upon rolling onto his front.
"You've gotten too complacent with your abilities. Dummies or a practice partner aren't the same deal as a proper sparring partner. Make sure to deal with this failing." She narrowed her eyes, warningly. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that handling this before Dandelion Knight Jean gets wind of it would be ideal."
Otto gulped. As did the rest of the knights who had been gathered for sparring practice. "Y-yes, Acting Grand Master."
Amber sighed. "You all are dismissed. Make sure to create a reconditioning plan for yourselves and begin work on exceeding Ordo Favonius standards. We have tryouts coming up again soon, and there's no reason to have a recruit be besting you." The sound of mass salutes brought a small smile to her face.
As the mass of footsteps left, one lone pair approached. "You seem irritated."
"Am I that obvious?" She groused, turning to face the Captain. Hertha said nothing as she made a few testing strikes, her rapier-esque training blade snapping back smoothly with each block.
"Only to those that know what to look for. And aren't actively combating you. When you're really irritated by something, you gain this crease between your eyebrows, right—"
Amber shot back, instinctively falling into a crouched stance.
"—there," Hertha finished, her blade stilling in a perfect thrust. She smiled slightly as she retracted her weapon. "If I had managed to close the gap while you had your proper weapon, what would you have done?"
"Baron Bunny," she answered simply.
Hertha sighed. "Of course. Baron Bunny. How you managed to do that with your Vision is beyond me."
Beyond either of us, Amber privately thought. Outwardly, she shrugged. "I'd say ask Lisa, but she doesn't care enough for the answer. She's perfectly fine with 'I'll let a researcher in need of a thesis project solve that one'."
Hertha laughed. "Yes, that does sound like our librarian." With a nod, "I'll leave you to it, Acting Grand Master. Perhaps one of these days we'll have a proper spar."
"Perhaps sometime next month, if we can sync up."
"Perhaps."
/ - /
Sitting up here, with the whole of Mondstat spread out before her— perhaps it was something that spoke to that ancient, primal part of her, lurking deep within her genes. To have a sense of prideful ownership, that all that she could see was hers. Amber sighed and leaned against the wall, letting the fountain pen rest safely against her stomach. Perhaps it was a poor idea to work atop the cathedral, where no one could easily reach her, but she'd made no attempts to hide her meandering walk towards Barbatos' man made place of worship. Even further, she'd made no attempts to be discreet about climbing up one of the columns, sturdy leather satchel bouncing off her back with every step.
It was just a shame her usual companion wasn't here to play over the hustle and bustle of the city. On a day like today, Venti would be somewhere nearby but out of sight, strumming on his lyre and quietly practicing an old 'new' song. The music served as a pleasant distraction to whatever was on her mind. Or, at least, help her focus on what really needed to be focused on. Really, it was just knowing that the idyllic god was willing to spend time around her that was nice. That despite all she'd done, she was still worthy of his attention.
It felt...
Amber sighed. She didn't know how it felt.
But it felt nice.
"Eurgh, back to work." With a quick stretch and accompanying groan, Amber put her pen back to motion, flowing ink detailing rotations for the upcoming days. While she had yet to put forth any evidence regarding the situation, as Acting Grand Master, no one would raise too much a fuss if she used her experience as just an Outrider to create a small safety measure. It wouldn't hurt that those who were willing to do an extra graveyard shift would be getting additional pay come next cycle. The small thank you party she planned on having Good Hunter and Cat's Tail host would also probably help smooth things over.
But all that couldn't be done if she didn't get these schedules written down. By the time a working schedule was completed, based off the last set of rumors she'd heard about the selected knights, the sun was only an hour shy of its zenith. The wind had only grown stronger since she started, and even from here she could hear the clicking of the windmills. In the distance, only a few hours' trek from Mondstat proper, Vannessa's Ascension swayed in the breeze. Scaling the tree was a fair bit harder than climbing the cathedral, but its view was no less spectacular, nor rewarding.
The wind picked up for a moment, forcing her to hold onto her work materials. When it died down, she turned slightly to face Windwail. Just underneath the cliffs of Wolvendom and past Dawn Winery, one could find the path into Brightcrown Canyon. Beyond that lay Old Mondstat. How far along were Mondstat's heroes, she wondered. Through Venti's efforts, would they have managed to break through Dvalian's barrier yet? Or would they still be making the trek through the Hillichurian infested canyon? Amber pulled her waterskin away from her mouth, letting the tied cork fall securely down and sated her thirst.
The part of her that Knew what was to come felt jealous and a decent bit scorned that she hadn't been invited to the assault, but the whole affair was admittedly a spur of the moment thing. Time was of the essence in regards to curtailing Dvalin's wrath, and a party of four (five if you counted Paimon) was far easier to move, especially when those involved held the degree of freedom they did.
Ah, but to have been part of that grand battle! To be able to take to the air as the Traveller would; to have Venti's winds lift you into the air and allow you to fight upon the ruins held aloft by Dvalin's gales! Such an adventure would likely ne'er happen again! And here she was, stuck on the ground with only the barest of winds in comparison.
Amber gave a mirthless laugh and shook her head. Regardless, it wasn't as if she couldn't pry the story from Venti's lips later on. In such 'drunken' retellings, the details could only become more and more fantastical, becoming more and more grand with every iteration. And with a few enhanced strums of his lute, if she closed her eyes, she might even be able to imagine herself right there, soaring through the air with adrenaline in her veins and determination in her heart.
/ - /
"Staying up late again, Acting Grand Master? My, you really should take care of your health, you know. Keep pulling stunts like this, and one of these days you'll wind up bedridden."
"Calvary Captain Kaeya." Amber didn't look up from her papers as she spoke. "Welcome back. How was your trip through the city?"
"So cold, Acting Grand Master! If I didn't know better, I'd say you had something against me."
She spared him only a single glance.
Kaeya, the damnable bastard, let out a sigh. "How are you faring?"
"My dear Cavalry Captain, is that a note of concern I hear in your voice?"
"The ladies do tell me I have an impeccable singing voice," he slyly answered. "I am serious, though. The others have been talking about how out of it you've been, and that's before taking up the role." He put a hand down on her desk, leaning forward. Were it anybody else, she might have been allured by the well defined chest his shirt so proudly displayed, but from him? All she felt was annoyance. "...no, you seem to have things under control."
"I have been assisting Dandelion Knight Jean in her duties for the past two years."
"As so many have noticed." Kaeya turned and sat on the front of her desk, crossing one leg over the other. All trace of levity disappeared from his voice as he next spoke. "What would you have me do?"
"Send a few scouts out to check on our immediate surroundings. The hilichurls were slowly growing closer day by day, and since I've been stuck here for the past few days, we've no clue as to their progress." Amber held in an irritated sigh, mentally visualizing the pull and release of her bow twice before resuming her work. "Our armories are sufficiently cared for, but I haven't the time to do a personal check of everybody's equipment. By the day after tomorrow at latest, I would like for you to carry that out."
"I'll make sure to put the word out that we'll be doing an inspection of everybody's gear."
She didn't have to see his face to know that insufferable grin was back. "Assuming you didn't come across anything immediately vital, save your report for when Dandelion Knight Jean returns." She paused, turning her attention to a small stack of summarized financial reports she had yet to formalize. "On second thought, considering you made a trip to Springvale, I'll take a look at it myself during my lunch break tomorrow."
"I'll be sure to be as concise as possible," he sang. "By your leave."
Amber nodded, not deigning to watch as he left. Knowing him, he would have purposely been adding an extra touch of swagger to his steps, perfect for drawing attention to certain 'assets'.
"Message from Vind," the next report began. "All quiet on the Eastern front. Nothing new. P.S. Please send more varied rations. Supplies are currently low and harvestables need time to replenish." She chuckled, quickly penning a note to approve the request.
/ - /
"Oh, Outrider Am- er, Acting Grand Master Amber?" Diona paused mid-shake, giving two more hesitant pumps before resuming her current task.
"Good evening, Diona." Amber quietly took her place at the bar, stretching her neck side to side and eliciting a few cracks that pierced through the silence of the tavern. "Quiet night, tonight?"
"Mm. Seems the hilichurls have been growing closer than normal. Merchants are all up in a tizzy over it. It's making everybody want to stay safe at home in case something happens."
Amber quietly clicked her tongue. Leave it to Kaeya to pick up on something and immediately start acting on it before conferring with her. "Mondstat's walls are enough to deter a simple hilichurl attack."
"Yeah, but," Diona lowered her voice down to a whisper, even as she got started on her own drink. "Word is: it's movement from everywhere. Daudapa Gorge, Springvale, Brightcrown, Galesong; merchants all over the place have been hearing hilichurlian grunts and the like during their travels, even while sticking to the main roads. People are starting to get antsy."
"You pick that up all from the customers?" she asked, raising a brow. Diona made a face, brows scrunching up in— confusion? Annoyance? Amber huffed. Maybe she was projecting too much.
"The other workers have been talking about it, same with Margaret. Says it's starting to affect the merchandise she's been seeing in the markets."
"Mm." This week couldn't go by faster.
"What about you? What with the whole..." Diona poured out her drink, a primarily fermented corn based drink that was mixed with several other things she didn't care the name of. Safer that way, really.
"The coat?" She lifted one of the lapels, receiving a nod in response. "Jean had to step out for something, and some miscommunication meant I needed to take her place."
"Whaa?" Diona frowned once again, this time with actual confusion. "Aren't there like, three others who could have done that?"
Amber shrugged. "None of them minded when I volunteered. Besides, it's not like I don't have experience in the matter. I didn't spend so many nights in Jean's office for nothing, you know." In another corner of the tavern, she heard somebody choke on their drink, their companion thumping their back vigorously. Served them right.
"Acting Grand Master?" Diona's voice was once again low. "You know my father lives out in Springvale. Would you recommend I go visit him?"
She took a slow sip of her drink, holding it in her mouth before swallowing. Soft enough to still be conversational but loud enough that the other patrons could easily hear should they be listening, "If you wish to leave the city and go visit your father, I can think of nothing that would have me tell you otherwise. The only thing I would suggest would be to travel with a group, preferably with some who are combat capable." There. Something to placate the civilians while also giving a warning for those that wish to flee. Nothing in her wording that could incite panic, right?
/ - /
Summon. Pull.
Amber let out a slow breath as she let go of her imaginary arrow. Her Hawkmoon Mark Three hung from her shoulder as she envisioned a target swimming across the waters of Cider Lake. Truthfully it was far more likely any enemies would approach across the bridge, a far too important structure to even consider destroying, but there was nothing wrong with planning for contingencies.
"Anything notable, Acting Grand Master?"
A beard slightly untamed from a day's worth of waking and a split pencil moustache. "Only the fires of campsites across the bridge, Raymond." All stationary, as they should have been. Earlier in the evening, there'd been a few flames that had been moving around, but it was nothing more than some adventurer who was helping light the fires of their peers. "Anything on your end?"
"Saw some birds searching for prey in the direction of Springvale, and I think there's some adventurer's looking for evening activity," both of them rolled their eyes at that, "but otherwise the same as yesterday."
She let out a slow breath at that and pulled her binoculars up, scanning another section of the Whispering Woods. This was the problem with being forced to work behind a desk; she couldn't confirm suspicions with her own eyes, instead having to rely on the words of others. "Off the record, how do you feel about my pushing for increased security?"
"Every time you do such a thing, you make sure that those offering to take up the positions are compensated accordingly. It doesn't help that you tend to have a good reason to do so, such as foreign dignitaries visiting for the first time or that there are substantiated rumors regarding a larger than expected amount of visitors for any events like the most recent Windblume Festival."
Amber said nothing, letting the silence stretch out as she scanned another section, this time towards the routes leading into Windrise.
"Acting Grand Master... what's going on? The other knights are starting to ask questions and even Captain Kaeya is behaving stranger than normal."
"Do you want the full answer or are you content with just knowing there's a reason for heightened security?"
Raymond let out a mirthless laugh after a moment. "No, far be it from me to burden myself with what troubles my superiors." He joined her at the edge of the wall, resting a hand on the crossbow holstered at his hip. "Can't help but notice that supplies for the healers hasn't been stocked up more than they usually are. Confident in our chances?"
"Very."
"Hah. Good to know. By your leave, Acting Grand Master."
/ - /
It wasn't too often, but sometimes she sequestered herself to some hidden location within the city that others were unlikely to stumble upon. The rooftops of the Ordo Favonius headquarters was one such place. The stairwell to the roof wasn't locked by any means, but if someone was trying to search for her, odds are they'd ascend one of the windmills first before even considering the HQ. Amber rolled onto her front, staring at the patterning of the bricks. Over the side, the shouts and grunts of training knights reached over, muffled by distance but no less clear. Had she made a mistake? It was the role of the Order to keep morale high and maintain the safety of Mondstat's people, and that's exactly what her orders were intended for. And yet...
A single, unified cry pierced the sudden silence. Kaeya's calm, but commanding voice rose next, and she had the distinct impression that it was her name being used to motivate the next series of exertions. Was this the way things had played out in the city while the Traveller and the others were dealing with Dvalin? Had there been an unspoken tension whose memory had faded from the passing of time? Was she over-preparing everyone? The curse of a leader, she supposed. Do too much, and people will complain about how hard you worked them. Do too little, and all the failings will be placed upon your head.
With a sigh, she kip-upped onto her feet and made her way towards the Eastern side of the HQ. Admittedly, scaling buildings wasn't the best thing to do. Someone could see her and try to do the same (or worse, someone with nefarious inclinations could be making note of potential paths up said buildings), and there was always the chance that someone in a position of power could notice her actions and discipline her in ways that would be more annoying than reprimanding. As she neared the ground, Amber held herself in place, letting the stymied wind wash over her.
The tension wasn't just in the knights. It was starting to affect the city, too. People were starting to congregate less, be it day or night. People were starting to talk about Jean's disappearance, and some were even beginning to talk about how the Knights had been patrolling more at night. With another sigh of general frustration, she pushed off of the wall and crouched slightly as she landed, focusing on the way her muscles contracted and loosened as she rose back up. "Enough brooding," she murmured to herself, picking up the small satchel of paperwork she'd hidden beneath a bush. "Back to work."
Just a few minutes away from the HQ, there was a quiet public garden that often held host to children and parents off duty. It was the perfect place for one to relax; a burbling fountain in the middle, plenty of trees ringing the area, and decently seized grass areas for kids to safely run around. For Amber, this place was where she liked to do non-classified paperwork whenever she felt the urge to be outside. It gave her the chance to interact with whoever felt confident enough to talk to her, and it also allowed her a way to give herself additional reasons to defend Mondstat's outer regions. The personal reason of 'it's where I live' was good and all, but having a personal obligation, or rather, 'noblesse oblige', simply held a different weight to it.
"Working outside today, Acting Grand Master?"
Amber glanced over to her side, watching as the off duty knight sat down beside her. It wasn't often that she and Leah interacted. The other knight worked more on the PR side of things underneath Hertha's command, often helping out if not outright overseeing events hosted within Mondstat's borders. Her handwriting was also on par with a noble's, though whether that was because of her upbringing or a consequence of the job, she wasn't sure. "Office was getting a little stuffy," she answered with a genial smile.
Leah laughed. "Even when you first started working alongside Jean, you couldn't stay inside much."
She laughed as well. She hadn't picked up on it at first, but in those early days Jean had taken to doing some paperwork outside as well, having noticed her longing looks outside the window. "What can I say? The sun calls for me." They fell into an easy conversation after that, talking about things they noticed on their travels and of the upcoming Windblume festival in the not-so-distant future. Whether or not Leah picked up on their unspoken agreement to stay from any harsher topics such as Dvalin's behaviors and his influence on the region, she couldn't say, but she appreciated it all the same.
As she finished the last paper she brought with her, Amber folded her hands above her head and let out a pleased groan as she stretched, slumping slightly as she let them fall into her lap. "Thanks for your company, Leah." She watched as some children on the other side of the fountain clashed wooden swords, re-enacting some story of heroes and villains from Mondstat's history with all the imaginative fantasy that children were wont to include in their play.
"Of course. It's always nice to talk with someone with a similar understanding of the job like myself." She stood up and patted down her skit. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Acting Grand Master."
"You too." Amber pressed the tip of her tongue against the side of her teeth as Leah walked away, grounding herself away from certain thoughts and merely focusing on the sight before her. Maybe it was just part of growing up in the region, but Mondstatian fashion held a certain appeal to it, and the lifestyle of a knight helped to make it all the more attractive, even among the more middling members. She stayed like that a few more seconds, turning to watch the children enthusiastically swing their swords at each other before she herself rose.
As their cries faded with every step she took, Amber rubbed the tips of her fingers against her palm, humming pensively at the sensations. As an archer, calluses weren't really something she was supposed to look forward to. Their presence meant she was drawing her arrow incorrectly, or that she was firing too often. But during her training, she had to admit there was a certain appeal to helping out the knights who had an injury of some kind on their hands. Feeling the way their skin reacted to their sword grips or the way they handled their writing utensils. Climbing things wherever she could helped to form them, but it wasn't the same. She shook her head. The life of an archer was what she chose, and even if she could wield a sword (or spear) just fine, there was ultimately no point on dwelling on life choices and their cosmetic effects.
"Amber!"
"Afternoon, Timaeus!" She raised a hand in greeting, moving to the side when she reached the top of the stairs. "All done with your work for the week?"
"Just for today." The budding alchemist sighed and leaned against the wall, kneading his head with a knuckle. "Albedo and Sucrose are elbows deep in a project right now, and they've been needing my help. It's involving some high level material that I have to keep reading up on just to stay afloat and we finally reached a point where I can take a step outside." He let out a heavy sigh. "I can't believe they let me help out so long."
She posted up beside him, resting on her hands. "It just means they trust you."
"Sure, but they're at such a high level compared to me." He shook his head in disbelief. "Not even high level, they're leaders in the craft. They haven't published many public reports, but I use some of their findings as study material and it's on par with Sumeru scholars. Meanwhile here I am having issues with higher end transmutations."
"Aren't those the things that require a fundamental understanding of the item you're trying to create?" she deadpanned.
He stared at her wide eyed. "Yes! Not just on a 'how does this feel' level, but at a degree where you could recreate it via a drawing! Properly labeled and everything! How am I supposed to feel comfortable working with them when I'm having issues with such a simple thing?!"
Amber chuckled. "You know there are some knights who can't cook for themselves." When he made a confused sound, she continued. "Take a basic salad. Lettuce, tomatoes, shred some carrots, some cabbage, add some salt and pepper and some olive oil, and call it a day. Simple enough, right?" When Timaeus nodded she continued. "Yet despite wielding swords, there are some knights that don't understand a knife has to be held a completely different way. They'll walk around a kitchen holding it like a dagger or a vengeful drunkard."
She shook her head. "Ask them to toast some bread in herbs and oil and they'll throw the whole loaf on a skewer like they're an adventurer." A pained smile plastered itself on her face. "And don't get me started on how some people 'cook' their meat." Amber shivered. Nearly a quarter year's pay over twice as long had been spent on unlearning that particular talent. "The point is: what some might consider simple, others would consider spectacular. I tell it to new recruits all the time. Don't treat us elders as some unattainable goal. We were just here longer."
Timaeus have her a soft smile. "Thanks, Am—" He glanced at her coattails. "Acting Grand Master."
"Any time." She pushed off the wall and gave him a small nod. "Enjoy your day, Timaeus." The rest of her trip back to the HQ went unbothered, and were it not for the faintest whisper of exertions, she would have gone straight to the Grand Master's office. As it was, Amber adjusted her steps so that she made no noise, inconspicuously sauntering into the training grounds and posting up in the shade of a tree.
With another battle cry, Ellin swung down, overextending a significant amount. Her clothes were moderately soaked and on the other side of the training yard, a slightly damp towel laid across a shaded bench. Beneath it, a bucket that was more than likely filled with water sat innocuously.
This was about as far as Ellin would ever go. Her soft limit, so to say. She was more than capable of going further, but in the interests of 'going longer' or to 'practice other things', she refused to exhaust herself more than this. Exactly as she expected, Ellin only took two more swings before moving to imitations of stances that Jean tended to use. It was amusing, in a pitying kind of way. Ellin didn't have a Vision, and as far as she could tell, would not acquire one for some time. That she had Jean's moves down to a point where she could pass well for any reenactments spoke to her dedication, but it was a shame that determination didn't transfer to other things.
"A-acting Grand Master!"
Amber blinked and refocused on Ellin. The girl had a stunned look on her face and seemed to be stuck between continuing to wipe the sweat from her face or walking over to have a proper conversation. "Have you gotten your laps in today, trainee?" she asked, keeping her arms folded.
"Not yet," she stuttered, dabbing a little at her hairline.
"Make sure you get them in before it gets late. I know your upper body will probably be sore after everything, but it's important to get your stamina training in as well." There was only so many times she could try to hammer a point home. At this point, it was better to let Ellin make mistakes and learn on her own rather than waste her breath repeating herself. Amber gave only a single nod before heading in through the back door, the only thoughts on her mind being of what she might get from Good Hunter for dinner.
/ - /
"C'mon, Outrider! I know you're faster than that!"
The wind roared past her as she shot through the air. It had taken multiple iterations (and more than a fair amount of mora and favors toward Barbara), but she had finally made a working prototype of a squirrel suit. A wind glider was one thing, but there were certain things that only a squirrel suit could manage.
Amber tucked her arms to her sides, receiving a few scratches on her face that she ignored as she feathered through the gaps of a tree's bough. Immediately she snapped her arms back out, swaying side to side to avoid the living towers around her.
Venti's laughter echoed jubilantly, the bard himself unseen. "Come on, you're almost here~" he sang.
She spread her limbs out wider as she neared a moderate sized pond, the heat from the waters sending her higher ever so slightly. From here she could see the whole of Mondstat. The grand tree of Windrise; the shattered ruins of the Thousand Wind Temple. Venti laughed once again, his words fading into something unintelligible as a frantic pounding of wood overtook his voice.
"Acting Grand Master! Acting Grand Master!"
Amber rolled out of bed, her trusty combat cum skinning knife held sheathed in one hand as she took stock of her surroundings. The emergency bells warning to find shelter rang out repeatedly, and from her front door someone called for her just as forcefully. Muscle memory of a home never changed let her avoid the furniture even in the dim light of the curtained moon. Quicker than she realized, she was at her door, staring back at Guy silently.
After a few moments, she turned away from the door, striding towards her room. "Come inside, catch your breath," she called out, leaving her bedroom door ajar enough to converse. Amber pulled her boots out from her closet, lacing them up one at a time with deft motions. "What's going on?"
"Hilichurls are attacking," Guy answered. "A lot of the people camping on the other side of the bridge have already retreated inside the walls, and some of the adventurers are starting to fight back. Captain Hertha is keeping the knights on standby while we prepare some portable defenses to move into position."
Her corset came next. Just the slightest bit thicker than casual wear to act as pseudo-armor, but still pliable enough to allow combat maneuverability. "Any word of what Cyrus is doing?" She grunted as she tugged on the strings twice before tying them.
"Organizing the adventurer's still inside the walls. We saw some of the more experienced members run through the gates, so safe to assume they're working on organizing those currently fighting."
She hesitated as she reached for a bow. In a fight, her Hawkmoon would undoubtedly be the better choice, but she was currently the Acting Grand Master, and who knew how long the battle would go on. In under half a minute her Warbow was strung and hanging across her body, two full quivers were belted across her waist, and a pair of replacement strings were tucked into their designated pouch.
"Go back to Captain Hertha and see what else she needs you to do. I'll be at the front gates keeping an eye on things." The warning bells rang one final time, their echoing chime lingering for a weighty moment. "And have someone get me some coffee and an NRE. It's going to be a long night."
/ - /
An archer's place was away from the front line of battle. A leader's place was from the front of their followers. The visionless knights and adventurer's around her couldn't see them, but as one of her phantasmal arrows flew out from her bow and buried itself into the mask of a hydro samachurl, spectral orbs of energy flew out and into her comrades, renewing their vigour for the umpteenth time. She'd been on the field for nearly an hour and a half. Long enough for the front line combatants to tag out with fresher faces. Long enough for the defenses the knights had prepared to be completed and moved into place, providing cover for anyone retreating or under fire to hide behind.
As an archer and leader her role wasn't to fire out an unending stream of arrows, even if she could have done so with relative ease. No, her role this morning was to take out only the critical targets and guide reinforcements as needed. And in the rare case of a mitachurl (and apparently, a lawachurl), to take down their defenses as quick as possible so those with more appropriate weaponry could handle them.
Another group of hilichurls and their accompanying samachurl rushed out of the woods. Amber huffed and hefted a ball of flame in her hand, imbuing it with the slightest bit of intelligence. With another heft, the flame began spiralling into a loose shape, a relatively thick string of ethereal fire following her fingers as she drew an arrow into existence. Red and orange streaked through the air, her Vision-created arrow landed into the lead hilichurl. She knew how the rest would play out. The inane oddity of a top-heavy, humanoid bunny would distract those who had never experienced it before. The almost-spiritual creature, dancing and hopping around would keep their attention until a brief few moments later, it would explode in a rush of heat and flame, immolating those close enough. As sure as the sun rose, an explosion roared out, causing a few of the hilichurls close enough to flinch and turn in response.
"Whew, there sure are a lot of them!" One of the vision wielding adventurers fell onto his rear beside her, close enough to comfortably talk but far enough that she still had room to move if need be.
She took another look across the battlefront before glancing down at her side. "Bennett."
"Hiya, Acting Grand Master." He let out a strained grunt of air as he stretched out some. All across his body, several wounds burned with varying intensity as his Vision both cauterized the worst and loosely healed them.
A gravelly roar drew her attention. Before anyone could even say a word, twinned arrows snapped out thrice, the largest of each firing landing directly in the lawachurl's face while their smaller comrades set patches of the beast's stone hide aflame. Electro infused arrows alongside crackling bolts of similar energy shot out from elsewhere on the battlefield and reacted with her own arrows, setting off a rapid report of explosions. Amber drew back her bow fully, dropping to a knee for a better angle. Ambient Pyro energy surged outward as she fired, yet another burst of valor infusing itself into those around her. "How's everything on the front lines?" she asked, only looking away from the flinching giant once Fischl and Oz began unloading their own attacks onto the besieged beast.
Bennett chuckled as he made a fist, looking up at her almost drunkenly. "Pretty good. We have enough people that we can keep tagging out whenever we get injured, and we're pushed out enough that no one's really getting bogged down. Your arrows help out a lot, too. Sometimes those samachurls don't even get a foot out the woods before you nail 'em down!"
She smiled and scanned the battlefield once again, keeping an eye on their right flank as a mitachurl lasted just a little longer than it should have. "I do what I can. So no significant injuries?"
"Nope." He hawed. "At least, none that I know of. And I've been here pretty much since everything started!"
She quirked a brow. "Your dads didn't force you to take a break?"
"They tried to, but this is almost an invasion! Besides, if our Acting Grand Master refuses to leave the battlefield, how could I not do the same?"
She let out an amused breath and shook her head. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you really should consider retreating further back. At least grab some water and something to snack on." Amber shook her hips a little, making the waterskin and NRE on her hips opposite her bow supplies lightly bounce against her thigh. "As a swordsman, you've been far more active than I've been."
"That better not be a slight against me, Acting Grand Master!" she heard Hertha call out.
"Wouldn't dream about it, Hertha!" she called back with a smile, wondering in passing how Hertha managed to hear her. "I'm serious though, Bennett. Fall back and rest up. We've got things covered for now. Regain your energy and check up on the others by the gates."
"I— you're right."
Darn straight, was what went unsaid as Bennett rose and began trudging back to the rear lines. She was almost starting to pity the hilichurls. While at first they'd nearly approached the bridge, once their defenses were completed at worst they only managed to reach the other side of the road. She huffed in amusement. Chickens indeed. Perhaps another half hour passed, and with it a notable changing of combatants, before anything meaningful occurred. It started with the shaking of branches and creaking of wood. Normally such an act would have included the sudden flight of a flock of birds, but they'd long since left the area.
A massive creature bigger than its predecessors leapt out of the trees. When it landed, rows of stone rippled out of the ground, fully separating a cluster of fighters from each other. Two arrows were snapped out before she started moving. A monster as big as that would required a personal—
Screams worthy of the word 'terror' broke out. From the one glance she spared, two more lawachurls had come out of the trees on the other side. As front line combatants, Bennett and Fischl had already fallen back, and however brief, it would still take them time to return to the front.
Amber punched out another Baron Bunny, imparting the construct with a bit more consciousness than her summons normally held. It ran forward at a child's pace while she dropped to a knee and fired a rejuvenating arrow at the beast's armored face, the closeless letting her arrow dig deep enough to make the lawachurl rear back. As the initial BB leapt up and clung to the beast's leg, she summoned forth another Bunny, hurling it forward by its ears. This one did much the same as its predecessor, running forward with all the range of motion expected of such stubby limbs. She drew back another spectral arrow, the world pausing for a single infinitesimal moment as her fingers touched her cheek. She was not strong enough to fire three at once. Two was pushing it depending on the distance, but never three. Not for another decade.
The arrow was already in its mark when she released her fingers. Or that was to say, the future was already written; the past merely had to catch up. She let out what felt like a breath that lasted forever.
Both BB's blew up in a great plume of smokeless flame, displacing slabs of stone off the lawachurl's legs. Another arrow manifested the future in her mind's eye by the time she took note of the pale woman striking at the beast's legs from behind, her spear leaving behind a trail of Cryo particles. Faintly, a byproduct of not really working with others in such a massive operation, she heard Hertha's voice call out for someone to handle a final lawachurl.
Her warbow snapped out three times before she was in speaking range of Rosaria, each twinned arrow ineffectively peppering the beasts' arms. "Any other hilichurls in the woods?" She leapt to the side as the beast slammed its fists down, another line of coagulated stone rising up.
"Not any more," the nun in name only answered, glancing at her. "Where's Kaeya?"
"Out. Or maybe arrived during the night. No one minded when I stepped up." She shot out a single, weak arrow at the lawachurl to garner its attention. When it reared back to slam its fists down once again, she leapt onto the previous row of stones, another orb of sentient flame beginning to curl in her hand. "Let's get this done quick. We're the only Vision holders up front right now." Lashed to an arrow by a seamless strand of energy, the Baron Bunny clung happily to the lawachurl's face, the roar of rising overpowering the battle cries from their compatriots.
Rosaria said nothing in response, merely sprinting forward at a steep angle before leaping off some summoned stone and axe kicking the air. Immediately after her newest Baron Bunny exploded, destabilizing the rest of the lawachurl's stone armor, a favonious lance borne of ice and worthy of being held by a giant pierced the ground, as if heralded by Rosaria's kick.
Amber drew back her bow, her arrows gleaming with energy. The moment the cryo construct pulsed out a plume of frost, she released them, only to summon another pair as soon as the bow string began to rebound back. Summon. Pull.
Release.
The lawachurl was still kicking even after three resonating shots, but she could hear the desperation in its roar. She notched one final arrow, drawing it with all the perfection worthy of an illustration. "Target acquired," she whispered, loosing it.
Rosaria gave one final cryo enhanced slash at the beast's leg before leaping away, no doubt noticing the intensity of the arrow's glow. The beast only had a moment to give one more roar of frustration (or perhaps anger) before the arrow exploded into an octuplet of beams, each one arcing back and piercing the exact same place the initial arrow landed. Were only that all the beast required; Amber shot out three more arrows before the lawachurl finally fell, quick enough that no one else was bothered, long enough that the beast managed to take three whole steps before falling to the ground, its body finally acknowledging the presence of death.
"Are they normally like that for you?" Rosaria asked, setting the pace for the closest lawachurl.
"Geo lawachurls?" Seeing a group of knights struggle with a charging mitachurl, Amber spun with her next few steps, chucking out an incorporeal Baron Bunny to assist them. "They tend to be an annoyance without someone providing some Electro, yes." She slid her right foot behind her, bracing herself to support Rosaria as she dodged away from a rush of frozen spikes. Not a word was exchanged as Rosaria regained her footing, charging forward with spear in hand as arrows flew past her.
"Acting Grand Master!"
Amber waited a quarter second before firing out another arrow, the momentary pause enough to ensure that the construct landed in the beast's head. "Yes?"
"Verily, I am heartened by your arrival upon this most prestigious battlefield." Electro joined Pyro in their flight through the air, their presence the only reason Amber allowed Fischl to ramble. "Your fiery presence on this domain doth truly empower us all!"
"Not that I mind your presence, Fischl," Amber leapt up some of the summoned ice, guaranteeing herself a better angle to fire from, "but is there a particular reason you called for me?"
"Ah, yes, I thought it prudent to inform you that Captain Albedo has joined our ranks in combat. He has taken it upon himself to handle the final lawachurl that was tormenting our forces."
Amber fired another tied Baron Bunny, a cry of jubilation that only she could hear echoing in her ear as she turned to look for the final beast. Sure enough, Albedo was dancing through the beast's attacks, flower-like constructs born from his Vision dotting his battlefield. "He sent you away?" she asked, snapping out another shot.
Ozvaldo manifested himself at that moment, white eyes tracking her pyro-crafted arrow before shooting out a bolt of electro after it. "A most pleasant evening to you, Acting Grand Master. Sir Albedo sent us away on the premise of 'wishing to test his combat capabilities'."
As the cryo lawachurl reeled back from the elemental reaction, Amber watched as Rosaria laid into the beast, her spear becoming a blur of frost and steel until it too, became unmoving. "Considering he's been cooped up the past couple days, that's not too surprising." Amber did a quick visual check of the area before dismissing her bow. The only enemies remaining were the standard hilichurl variants of either club or crossbow wielders, and what samachurls were around waving their staffs were in the process of being handled by either knights or adventurers. She could have lent a few arrows, yes, but it was better to let people gain confidence while they could, especially with the majority of their forces off on the expedition. Amber let out a slow breath, beginning the trek back to their impromptu command post. All that was left was the clean up, in every meaning of the word.
Next chapter will be released July 24th.
