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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 14: Traps and More Traps

P.S. I now have a discord server! Discord .gg/ceBMM2Zz6c

Something had changed in the span of a few hours.

This much Lumine could tell on the spot as the usually searing glares that she would receive from Shenhe had somewhat dulled out. They still stung in their own way, but the intensity had indeed decreased as she seemed more earnest to smile and be quite polite around them all.

And thanks to that, the blonde realized through a few more interactions early in the morning why the taller woman reacted the way she did around her - she was trying to steal her da- Kratos from them. Paimon had been alerted and the adorable emergency food was half-tempted to provide Shenhe with a bad nickname.

That being said, they both refrained from doing anything untoward the girl - especially since the hostility had been circling over words and glares. Barb was exchanged between the two sides, but always simmered over Kratos' puzzled and annoyed looks. It was unusual for Lumine to feel so competitive about something so unusual. As a long-standing Traveler of the Stars, having to deal with a 'rival' for someone's attention was awkward, especially since it wasn't the kind of romantic attention she was best known to butt heads about.

Lumine was not exactly a saint- she had met many people, many girls actually, and they were all lovely ladies through and through. Flirting wasn't her forte, with her focus being more to befriend and then try her luck if there was an opening in that regard. Aether used to be the 'womanizer' but he had quite the affection for men. Her brother was just the unique little thing at times and... she was digressing.

Shenhe was 'overstepping' her boundaries by trying to play 'games' around Kratos.

It was true these two looked awfully well together in a father-daughter kind of combination (as much as it pained Lumine to admit it to even just herself), but it was also true that she had been around for less time and she was trying to shove them away - and that would not bode well for Shenhe herself if she pressed too hard on it, this much Lumine made it clear to her with some subtle (and non-subtle) remarks while Kratos was going forward to scout the area in front of them.

This clandestine conflict had a brief life, however, as they reached the Harbor. The Millelith seemed spread too thin, and they weren't patrolling the streets as intensely as they used to. They were wary, but they hadn't been caught yet. Sheneh took to stare the streets with renewed childish wonder, a display that she was indeed unsuited to handle the role of guide that Lumine could claim over her.

While it was true she stayed around very little, having worked with Childe left her with a map of the place - a map she memorized just for the occasion of bragging her knowledge around Kratos (and hopefully get a headpat from the bald man).

Thus the blonde had been quite clear herself on what they could and could not do. "No running away, no distractions, and definitely no unwarranted shouting."

That was simple. Or that was what the blonde repeated herself. She thought she would finally prove her maturity around Kratos and show off against Shenhe so she would stop treating her as an actual rival in daughterhood since... she was definitely above her in all aspects. No doubt in that regard.

But while Lumine had an easy time in concocting clever plans to elevate her claim, she always forget how simple it is for sudden situations to occur and ruin those. Especially when this interruption came in the form of a familiar woman with dull blue hair and red horns rushing from the side, snatching Paimon and running away with her.

Call it instinct, or just Lumine being hyperfixated on protecting her group, but Lumine darted after the woman the very moment this occurred and shouted about her kidnapping her companion. She ignored Kratos' voice, her legs moving instinctively as she gave chase after the Paimon-napper. In less than a few minutes of saying this, Lumine had effectively broken the very rules she set the entire group to no break.

Embarrassment about this very detail only made her extremely focused as she moved to intercept the peculiar lady. She was fast- faster than anyone Lumine had the pleasure to challenge in runs in his stay in Teyvat. Amber would definitely feel annoyed by this, but it was fair to assume this woman was not a normal human, and maybe she held some Adeptus blood in her which granted her a stronger and nimbler body.

Surprisingly enough, the horned girl was way more accustomed into weaving through the crowd, something that only someone well-adapted on the circumstance could have. A clever thief? No, this one was an important woman but... where did she first see her? All Lumine knew was that her patience was growing thin, and while she darted at higher pace and almost got to the woman, she realized well too late that this had all been an ambush all along.

It wasn't just the 'feeling', but the place where the chase ended: Yuehai Pavilion, right in front of the Qixing (the Liyue's government), and with Millelith suddenly securing the entrances, it was just Lumine catching Paimon as she was chucked at her and... the duo staring at the approaching woman as she smiled at them.

"Traveler and Paimon, we finally found you both," Lady Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing, smiled mirthfully as she approached with her secretaries and a few more Millelith guards. "But I believe we are missing two from your group. They will join us soon for a proper discussion about what occurred with Rex Lapis' passing."

Well crap.

"They really rushed away like that," Shenhe mumbled, a comment that Kratos agreed with a nod.

He couldn't blame Lumine for being quite the righteous girl, but she should have been more attentive of the situation. They were still trying to enter the Harbor as things were tense. As much as he could tell it was bad that the Brat had been taken away, it was clearly not a maliciously-driven activity - not when he was sure he had seen the horned woman's face on some official posters... she was part of Liyue's own administration.

Ignoring this, it was frustrating how the group had gotten split once again. It was feasible and acceptable the first time since there was an active manhunt for them, but their return should have granted them a window of opportunity - one that now was suddenly slipping out of their hands.

Kratos was not nervous (he doubt he can be against these guards), but he was reasonably confused on what they should be doing right now as the chances of finding the Girl and the Brat were growing less and less. As they turned the corner to try and, hopefully, find any sign of where these two have gone, Kratos felt someone slam onto him and, as expectable, fall back due to the impact.

A groan, then the young man that had came running towards them looked up, and then he smiled. And it was the kind of smile Kratos loathed with a passion. It was that kind of fake smirk some used to hide away a rather unpleasant aspect of their true traits, a little mask to keep away a monster that had found his current target. Red hair, blue eyes... and something else.

Something that felt familiar and yet not- it wasn't anything he had much experience about, but it was that tiny detail that had Kratos move as quickly as possible.

"Woah, you are a big guy- Wait- I didn't-"

Kratos ignored the redhead, Shenhe didn't say anything as she followed after the bald man and heed little care to this individual. After all, the young man was unimportant to him and he didn't seek any trouble as he needed to find-

"I know where Lumine is!"

Kratos paused, then stared/glared at the young man and he hated him even more due to his widening smile.

"You just need to listen to me and... you will find her and Paimon."

He could already tell that this was a trap but... then again, the Girl had been led to one, so maybe this was the same trap.

AN

Kratos' logic is flawless, until you realize that Tartaglia is Tartaglia, and next up is quite the interesting clash between Daughter and Prick. After that... the 'first Arc' of Liyue approaches its final steps (that doesn't mean the group goes to Inazuma right away as there are a few in-story reasons they are stuck to Liyue for a while).