Here I present myself with a new chapter!
Again we go with another extra chapter. On this occasion, I would like to thank Benio and Alciel, who paid for a membership and decided to choose this story to continue with consecutive updates.
Without much more to add, it's time to get started.
Enjoy!
"How much longer will we have to wait?" Paimon asked somewhat exhaustedly as she looked at the horizon.
"You should work on your patience a little." Shinobu responded so much as a look
Everyone was waiting at the port of Ritou. In fact, the sight was quite peculiar, the site being completely abandoned and looking like it had been looted some time ago. The dust reigned in that place along with the disordered leaves, the port was somewhat neglected and the lack of ships was more than evident.
Most of them were waiting for the ship's arrival, but Ei was the only one who was observing the place in concentration, which looked like a ghost town. Seeing the port served as a reminder of what her actions entailed bringing over another wave of sadness and regret, although it was hidden very well.
Her oldest friend seemed to sense that slight melancholy in her Archon, so she was quick to act on it as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
Ei looked at Yae and gave her a slight smile at the gesture, indicating that she was fine.
"It's amazing that we haven't encountered any monsters in this place." Commented Aether, who stood next to both women. "If everything continues to go this well, then we should arrive in Liyue in the afternoon." Aether commented, watching as Paimon positioned herself next to him.
"Does she really have to come with us? Don't you think an Archon should personally take care of her people?" The floating fairy asked with a questioning look.
Grave error.
Ei gave her a death glare, making Paimon hide behind her best friend.
"You better not throw any unnecessary comments this time around. She's still very angry about the plan you proposed that time…" Aether whispered to her with some nervousness, since Ei could become scary if she deemed it necessary.
"Hey, they're coming!" Itto cut the small moment of tension when he jumped like a madman and approached the edge of the port, making everyone look in his direction.
In the distance they began to see a ship emerging from the horizon, getting closer and closer to the bay.
Everyone approached the wooden steps with a smile, watching as the imposing ship grew larger and larger. Soon they could see how there was a person at the bow, waving with great energy.
Evidently, that person was none other than Beidou.
Itto answered instantly with his usual energy, and his compadres followed him. Kazuha appeared behind her captain and responded to the greeting with a smile, while different pirates stopped to look at their old guests.
"With this, I guess it is time to say goodbye." Commented Gorou, who observed the group to wait for the reactions.
The reactions were very varied, as Itto looked a little sad at the idea of parting with Kuki and the rest of his gang, while Yae and Ei just acknowledged each other with a nod, as if they were used to this.
"Gorou, remember that if you need help you can always call us." Commented Aether, who stood in front of the adeptic figure to say goodbye.
"Don't worry. With them around, you won't need to come back." Gorou clarified as he focused his gaze on Yae, Kaeya and Shenhe.
"He is right." Yae commented as she approached Aether. "Don't you trust my abilities?" The Yokai asked in a feigned sadness.
"In fact, you're not the one I'm worried about this time…" Aether left the words hanging in the air, but the fact that he focused his gaze on Kaeya was more than enough.
"Ouch, you don't know how much those words hurt me." commented Kaeya, who, in fact, did not look affected at all. "But do not worry. In delicate moments like these, that's when I like to intervene the most." Declared the man, who crossed his arms confidently.
"Yae, keep an eye on him." Aether was not swayed by his words, and that was demonstrated by his statement.
Meanwhile, Itto and Shenhe were saying goodbye to the blank stare of many of those present, since the oni was crying profusely while leaning on the chest of the woman, who had a large question mark above her head. The only ones who didn't seem very affected by such a sight were the group of men following Itto, since, to them, that looked great.
Sara and Kokomi were feeling out of place, who couldn't help but see the whole situation with extreme confusion.
"How can you get so attached to someone in just a week?" The commander asked without being able to understand it.
"Well…" Kokomi drawled. "Before we could hardly see each other's faces, and now it turns out that we have many things in common." Sara looked at her out of the corner of her eye after hearing those words, making her look turn serious.
Kokomi followed Sara's gaze, where Ei was advising her puppet along with Aether.
"You're right. Relationships can change in ways that you wouldn't be able to imagine even in your dreams."
CHAPTER 16: NATLAN, THE NATION OF WAR!
Ei got off the ship along with the vast majority. The people in the port watched the group and murmured among themselves. Much of those murmurs were due to the Goddess, because it was the first time they had seen an Archon from another nation set foot on foreign lands.
"This place is just as I remember it." Itto commented with a toothy smile as he looked at the peculiar structures of the great city of Liyue.
"It is the first time I have left my native nation. It's a shame we can't stay for long." Kokomi commented, somewhat moved by the unknown infrastructure.
"Work is work. Remember that we are not here to be tourists." Sara declared bluntly as she passed by the two.
This made Itto and Kokomi look at each other, opting for a nervous smile while bowing their shoulders.
"You must be tired of taking us from one place to another." Commented Aether, who was going down along with Beidou and Paimon.
"You know I will never get tired of helping my comrades!" The pirate exclaimed with a toothy smile on her face.
"Still, it never hurts to be grateful. That's why we are going to have a group dinner before leaving Liyue." Paimon commented with a nod.
"I think we're not focusing on the food aspect enough for you Paimon." Aether mocked, making Paimon look at him with a small pout.
"While I appreciate your invitation, unfortunately I will have to decline. We must hand over a portion of our latest loot to pay off some debts." Beidou commented, watching as her people lowered some boxes from the ship. "There aren't many of us, so the process could take several hours." She concluded, fixing her gaze on Aether.
"In that case, I wish you the best." Aether commented, raising his hand with a smile, something that Beidou responded in kind.
"I hope the tide is on your side. Because, your friends will have a very stormy path. But for now, I hope you enjoy your trip to Natlan." Beidou shook Aether's hand after those words.
"If you want, Paimon can bring you a great souvenir! Paimon's sure the food there will be amazing!" The floating fairy exclaimed in excitement.
"Oh? Well, I would be very grateful." The pirate responded with a smile.
"Hey, we have to go now! Miss Ningguang is waiting!" The group's chat was interrupted as they were called out by Gorou, who was being accompanied by Ayaka.
Beidou shared a short smile with them as a final farewell greeting .
The pirate watched as the rather peculiar group got together and started on their way under the extremely curious gaze of the civilians.
"Are you sure you don't want to go with them? Perhaps your nation will need your help again." Beidou asked out of nowhere, causing the person who was carrying a box to stop right behind her.
"They will be fine." Kazuha set the box aside as he watched everyone leave. "Besides, this is already something that does not concern me. I did not choose to intervene for Inazuma, but for the wish that my friend deserved." The young man looked at Beidou, his smile widening. "You know well that my home has been with the captain for a long time." Those words made Beidou laugh.
"If you keep being so dramatic you'll make me blush!" The woman exclaimed, giving poor Kazuha a hard blow on the back as he got knocked to the ground.
_ LINE BREAK _
Liyue, Wangshu Inn
Several minutes later…
"Natlan, I have heard many stories…" Ningguang commented while crossing her legs.
The woman was being accompanied by her faithful servants, including Ganyu herself. The ostentatious woman also had the support of Keqing. On the other side of the table were Aether and his travelling companions, so the table was considerably large.
"Are you seriously planning to go to a place like that? We haven't seen dire situations like that since ever." Commented Keqing, who was observing the entire group with a frown.
"We need the Gnoses." Was Ei's simple response, making everyone look at her. "And as for conflicts, all of us here have plenty of experience with that." Goddess sentenced, making a slight smile appear on Keqing.
"If an Archon says it so confidently, then I guess my worries are in vain." The woman commented, then gently drank her drink.
"Even though you are so confident, remember that you have our support in case you're in need of something. We're acting oblivious towards the other nations diplomatically for now. Of course our members and citizens are free to "visit" some places with their close friends anytime they need and Liyue won't directly take responsibility for anything if there are no extreme cases." Ningguang commented, then proceeded to take a bite of her food.
"And we are grateful, but I don't think it is a very good idea for some guests to arrive in Natlan with the entire Geoarmada at our backs. At least, not for now." Commented Aether, who seemed to be enjoying the lunch. "Besides, we're just going to visit. It's not like we're going to destroy the nation or anything like that."
"We agree on that. But how will we know if they need our help?" Keqing asked with a raised eyebrow, to which Aether summoned the Serenitea Pot in front of everyone.
"That's simple." The young man commented, catching the teapot in his hands. "Unlike the other invocations, this one is special because it is not disconnected from disuse. The only thing I need is to think about it, since, more than an object, it is a space that is controlled by someone who is connected to me. This has a deeper explanation, but I prefer to save boring details…" Aether commented, then tilted the teapot towards Ningguang. "What I want is for them to keep this." Ningguang took the teapot and observed it closely. "Put it in a place where you will see it every day. If you see it disappearing, that means we need your help."
"I see, it's a very useful thing…" Ningguang commented with a smile as she looked at the teapot carefully.
"By the way, what happened to Zhongli?" Paimon asked a question on everyone's mind.
"Mr. Zhongli came this morning to inform us that he would not be able to attend due to personal issues." Ganyu spoke up for the first time, causing Aether to lower his head, something that did not go unnoticed by Ei.
"Don't you think it's better if we enjoy the food and talk about other things? "So much formality is boring." Ningguang commented, to which everyone agreed, especially those who were not good at political discussions.
"I think it's a perfect time to talk about the Arataki Gang!" Itto exclaimed with great pride as he stood with his arms crossed.
"Oh, that sounds interesting." Ningguang commented dryly, leaning back in the seat to hear better with a pleasant smile.
The pleasant conversation between those present proceeded without any problems. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the casual moment, except for Aether who looked somewhat serious as he looked at the views offered from the top of the inn. That was captured by Ei, who preferred not to say anything about it.
Once lunch was over and the Liyue agents said goodbye, everyone resumed their journey towards Mondstadt. All, except for Aether, who had stood looking at the small river that flowed under the bridge of the inn.
"Are you worried about Morax?" Ei's question brought the blonde out of his thoughts.
"I know he said he was going to think about it, but I'm still a little disappointed by his answer…" Aether commented with a wan smile. "On the other hand, I never wanted to force him to participate. If you think this decision is the right one, then that's fine with me." He concluded, focusing his gaze on Ei.
"Do not worry, everything is going to be okay." Ei took his hand to comfort him, making Aether's smile soften a little.
"Thank you…"
The two returned to the path with their companions, listening as Paimon seemed to be having a very exciting talk with Gorou and Itto about Mondstadt's culinary specialties.
They never realised that they were being watched at all times by certain entities.
Zhongli was sitting on the roof of the Wangshu Inn, accompanied by Xiao and an unknown woman.
The three remained completely silent. The only thing they did was watch them walk away from the inn.
That's how it had been throughout lunch.
Until Xiao finally decided to break the silence.
"What do you think?"
"Some of them are mere children, but the power they contain is no joke. Especially her…" The woman declared as she adjusted her glasses, her lenses reflecting Ei's figure. "Either way, you know I would never go against Morax's word." She concluded, shifting her gaze to Zhongli, who remained still without saying a word.
The God still chose to watch in silence, until he finally stood up.
"Let's go."
_ LINE BREAK _
Mondstadt, Dawn Winery
Several hours later…
"I was already wondering how long it would take them to move." Commented Diluc with his usual seriousness, who was sitting at his desk while observing the large group in front of him.
"Is that the right way to greet your friends?" Aether asked with an indignant expression.
"I guess they already had dinner on the way here. If you want, I can offer you a couple of drinks and some beds so you can rest well. Adeline, Hillie and Moke will show you the options and the rooms. Tomorrow we will talk, today I am very busy." The redhead ignored the comment completely and continued reading the papers, something that earned a slight sigh from Aether.
"You heard it, guys." Commented Paimon, who had had a very similar reaction to Aether.
After having some group drinks, everyone went to sleep in their different rooms. But in the middle of the night Ei sneaked through the hallways without Diluc noticing her to go to Aether's bedroom and sleep next to him.
For that same reason we find both protagonists hugging where Ei was using his chest as a personal pillow while they watched the starry sky from the window.
"They are beautiful." Ei commented without warning, drawing Aether's interest.
"What is beautiful?" The blonde asked calmly as he continued stroking her hair.
"The stars." Was Ei's simple response, making Aether look at her silently. "I did not offer the luxury of watching them to myself." Aether decided to respond to her words with a slight smile, and then turned his gaze towards the stars.
He knew that words were not necessary right now.
_ LINE BREAK _
Dawn Winery
The next day…
"Did you encounter any monsters on the way to the vineyard?" Diluc brought the coffee to his lips after his question.
"Not really. The paths were pretty clear, there were only a few Hilichurls." Aether responded, imitating the redhead's action.
"Diluc, I know you are a hard worker, but why did you have so much work yesterday?" Paimon asked while devouring a small dessert.
"I was just preparing the grounds for my exit." That answer earned the curiosity of Aether and Paimon, who looked at each other.
"Are you going on a trip?" The blonde asked, turning his gaze to Diluc.
"Yes, I will go with you." The redhead said as if it were the most normal thing in the world, something that evidently surprised all his guests.
"I don't think you should come. We will most likely be gone for a long time, and I don't know if…"
"That's why I must go." Diluc interrupted, putting his cup aside. "It's not that it can be dangerous, it will be. It is extremely difficult to destroy the customs of a region, it is obvious that this will cause many problems. Furthermore, we don't know if the Pyro Archon invited you exactly to stop the war." Diluc gave his points, making everyone look at each other.
"You're sure?" Aether asked him again.
"The workers here are very capable, they will know how to fill my position. Don't underestimate them." Diluc responded firmly, although it didn't take him long to soften his stance. "And… all this worries me too much." The redhead lowered his head slightly after his words. "I have already seen once how the vineyard was on the verge of disappearing. I won't let something like that happen to him again. Therefore, if there is war, I will make sure to support everything possible so that it does not reach Mondstadt." He concluded with his usual conviction, earning everyone's surprise.
"Very good. And to be honest, your strength would come in handy if things get more complicated than necessary." Aether stated with a serious smile, to which Diluc responded with a nod.
"So…" Diluc drank the coffee again, pausing briefly. "Are we going directly to Natlan or are we going to make another stop?"
"We need to pick up some people in town." Aether replied, placing the empty cup on the table.
_ LINE BREAK _
City of Mondstadt
A few hours later…
The guards at the gates watched the group led by Aether with a mixture of curiosity and amazement. Still, the men did not hesitate to give him a respectful greeting, something common among the Knights of Favonius.
Once they entered the city, everyone who did not know the place observed the different structures with a mixture of admiration and stupefaction, even Ei herself looked somewhat surprised at the sight that was so new to her.
That moment didn't last long, as Ayaka could see how Ayato was walking in the city square next to Lisa.
"Brother!" Ayaka exclaimed very excitedly, running towards her only family to give him a big hug.
The man seemed surprised at first, even during the hug. But shortly after, he reacted and hugged her back with affection.
"What is everyone doing here? Not that I mind seeing them anyway." Ayato commented with a smile, watching as everyone else approached.
"It's just a short visit. We came to recruit you to travel to Natlan." Ei's words made Ayato become a little serious.
"Does that mean you have already started your journey?" Lisa jumped into the conversation, earning everyone's gaze. "Do you want me to talk to Jean so she can receive you?" The librarian asked with a smile.
"There's no need. It's already too much with Kaeya's help." Aether responded instantly. "And don't take this the wrong way, but Mondstadt's military power is not very great. It would be best if you stayed here in case things go wrong in the future." He added as an afterthought.
"Oh, I understand. I'll tell her when I see her, darling." Lisa's words made Ei's brow furrow and made Aether very nervous.
"I also need you to send some knights to my vineyard, if it's not a bother." Diluc took a step forward to be noticed, something that caught Lisa's attention.
"Does that mean you're going with them? I thought you would never want to stay in another nation." The librarian asked, not being able to hide her surprise.
"There is always a first time for everything." Diluc declared, crossing his arms to play it down.
"Besides me, are you looking for anyone else?" Ayato asked, picking up the thread of the conversation.
"We just need a very short man who really likes alcohol. I understand that you have already met him." Aether commented and Ayato looked a little confused, making Paimon fly in front of everyone.
"We are looking for the Tone Deaf Bard!" The floating fairy exclaimed, and Ayato's expression changed almost magically.
"Ah, that man I met at the bar! It must surely be there!" Ayato exclaimed, but just as he was going to turn around to lead them, someone appeared without warning.
"Does anyone need a bard to sing songs during their travels?"
"¡AAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Paimon nearly died at Venti's sudden appearance, while others only freaked out a little and some laughed.
"Why do you appear like this?! You almost gave Paimon a heart attack!" The fairy complained with a grimace of displeasure.
"Hehe, this was my little revenge for calling me that." Venti commented in a childish manner, making Ei facepalm while others simply laughed or looked at each other.
"Are you sure to take him? He doesn't look very capable." Diluc commented without mincing words as he studied the little man with his eyes.
"He is much more capable than he seems. This is coming from someone who experienced it firsthand, believe me." Ei commented with her arms crossed over.
"If an Archon says it, then I have no objection." Diluc gave in instantly, something very rare for him.
Although the word Archon was probably the trigger for his actions. This was how all the people hanging around the square saw it, and needless to say, they looked very surprised after hearing that this tall woman was an Archon.
For this reason, it didn't take long for rumours to pile up in all directions.
"Well, it seems that discretion is over." Lisa stated the obvious. "If you want, you can leave before they start crowding around you. I will take care of telling Jean everything." The woman dismissed them with a smile.
"Many thanks for everything. We will do everything possible to solve everything peacefully." Aether commented as he raised his hand to say goodbye, while Lisa watched them walk in silence.
Once the group was out the doors, Lisa gave a small sigh.
"I'm sorry Aether, but I can't believe you." The librarian commented with a smile, and then raised her gaze to the sky.
"Well… it's not his fault either that problems follow him everywhere."
_ LINE BREAK _
Mondstadt borders
One hour later…
"What did you say this place was called?" Itto asked, seeing the different trees and vegetation, which were a bit scarce.
"Stormbearer Mountains. It is one of the many borders that exist between Natlan and Mondstadt. But, personally, I think this is the best." Aether responded, and those words made more than one person curious.
"Why does that make it more special?" Ei asked with extreme curiosity, making Aether take her hand.
'If you want to know so much, why don't you come with me?' Ei looked at him a little surprised.
"I…" The Archon couldn't finish speaking, because Aether dragged her out of nowhere.
At first she didn't understand, but she quickly let herself go and began to smile as she ran with Aether towards the mountain cliff.
The others looked at each other in confusion, but soon joined them and began to run with a great mix of emotions.
The first to stop were Aether and Ei. The Goddess's smile was slowly replaced by an expression of complete astonishment, and so it was for those who arrived shortly after.
Everyone was admiring the sights in complete amazement while Aether and Paimon smiled at each other, since they had reacted quite similarly the first time they saw it.
"What happens to those two great mountains? I had never seen one that had that shape…" Itto commented, who put his hands to his eyes as if they were binoculars.
"Those are not mountains." Ei's response made everyone look at her in amazement, and then look at the site as best as possible.
Those "mountains" were very far away, but the charcoal black colour and zero vegetation were more than evident. The only thing that differentiated one from the other was that the one that was furthest away seemed to have some type of construction on it.
"They are volcanoes." Ei's final words made everyone's eyes widen as much as possible.
"Volcanoes?! I've never seen one before!" Itto exclaimed as he clenched his fists with great emotion.
"That's not all, see those lines over there?" Aether commented, and everyone observed how there were different red lines that divided the forest sector somewhat conspicuously.
"They are rivers of lava, and they are not exactly few." Ei commented, somewhat surprised by that detail.
"Wooah!" If Itto was excited before, there was no way to describe it now.
"Why wouldn't they remove those rivers? Don't they pose a danger to civilization? Sara wondered with a frown.
"Well, we could check it out right now, don't you think?" Aether asked, breaking into a big smile.
"THE LAST ONE TO TOUCH THE GROUND WILL HAVE TO MAKE LUNCH!"
Aether jumped off the cliff and dragged Ei without thinking and summoned his glider, placing the Goddess on her back. The first to follow them were Venti and Paimon. Itto jumped in along with his companion Ushi the bull, and the others followed shortly after. The only ones who took longer than necessary were Diluc and Sara, as they both gave a tired sigh, making them look at each other. Finally, they both looked ahead and let themselves fall off the cliff like everyone else.
That way, everyone was planning and admiring the sights of the new nation they had arrived at.
Volcanoes, lava rivers, caves, normal rivers, ruins, mountains...
There was undoubtedly a great deal of things that awaited them in the Natlan Nation.
_ END OF THE CHAPTER! _
(ONO)
I hope you enjoyed it!
In the next chapter there will be a little lore about the region. I emphasize again that all this is invented by me, and with version 5.0 not far from here, don't be surprised if you find many differences from what will happen in the cannon.
I thank you again to all those who have supported this story with a membership. Remember that if you want you can become a member of my Patre-on, it only costs one dollar and with that you can request an extra chapter of any story that is in development. If you are interested, you can search for me as: Jyanzein.
With nothing more to add, I leave you with the true ending.
Thanks so much for reading!
"What the hell is that?" An unknown bald man with scales dropped a large amount of logs, something that caught the attention of his noticeably younger companion.
"What's going on?" The young man asked, his appearance looking much more normal, even though his arms were carrying twice the amount of logs.
His appearance was somewhat peculiar, as he had two lines of purple paint on both cheeks. His pupils were slanted and the color of his eyes was a deep red. His torso was exposed, but he wore a huge silver necklace that covered his shoulders and almost half of his chest, on which different figures painted in a blood red color posed. Lastly, he had a rather large red loincloth that reached to the bottom of his knees. The color of her hair was pure blue, somewhat long and completely messy. Something quite curious about his figure was that his arms and the sides of his torso were full of light blue scales.
"Are they Gruthekas or Murayales?" The bald man pointed to a specific point in the sky, making the young man look up.
He had to put a hand over his eyes to see better, and he could notice how a group of people were gliding not far from his position, even though the leaves on the trees complicated the view a bit.
"I don't think they belong to a group here, since no one in Natlan uses gliders. Most likely they are strangers." The young man concluded.
"Where do you go?" The bald man asked when he saw that his friend was heading into the forest.
"I'm going to receive them. Also…" The young man turned around, giving the man a slight smile.
"Maybe they're the people I've been waiting for."