Chapter 14
By the end of this chapter, I plan for our group of Adventures to have found all of Dvalin's tears, and fully restore The Holy Lyre der Himmel.
During the process of writing the battle scenes, I try to add some of Anakin's funny charisma from The Clone Wars. Along with his charisma, I'll be adding his signature lightsaber move, the spinning trick.
I'll also include him in character story quests too, maybe as a spinoff, for the sake of fun. And if anyone has any interesting ideas on how I can improve this story, please leaves a review.
With that said, time for me to start on this new chapter, again.
Amber POV - Whispering Woods
*arrow whistles by*
*strikes target*
"...Hm, another bullseye" I whispered. With Je-The Acting Grand Master being away on expedition, the duties of Grand Master been left to Kaeya. Speaking of Kaeya...
"Huh, I haven't seen him since this morning" I told myself, loading another arrow. With Kaeya being in charge for the moment, I was able to finish my duties a little faster. And after finishing, decided to practice my archery skills with the time left over.
*arrow whistles by*
"Traveler"
*strikes target*
"sigh I haven't caught up with him in a while. From what Lisa has told me, he's been too busy dealing with the Stormterror issue" Part of me feels like it would be selfish to spend time with him, especially at a moment like this.
Loading another arrow, aiming at the target upon the tree...
*crack!*
"Huh?!" That...wasn't me right? No, it wasn't me. Drawing my arrow back, I search around the woods for the source of that sound. "That sounded like a branch being stepped on, faint but, it definitely wasn't an animal" after a few minutes of searching, I find a clearing that contains a sight, to which I can consider to be...very concerning.
Hilichurls.
And a lot more in the area than usual. "Whoa, that's a lot. Even more than I can handle, I definitely need the other knights for this" Looking at this numbers group, it almost appears like they're planning for an attack!
"Better get this information to Kaeya, quick!" And like a rabbit, I take off, back to Mondstadt. In my haste, I was unaware...of the stranger who was just spying on me.
Anakin POV - Eagles Gate (Cape Oath)
Looks like we're back where we started, and by the look of things, it doesn't seem like a lot of time has passed.
"Now that, was a wild adventure" Paimon informs us, appearing once again behind Aether.
"You can say that again" He replies, brushing off his head.
"We can't rest just yet, everyone. We still need one more of Dvalin's tears to find" Jean reminds. Odd, the way the gentle sunlight illuminates her features.
"And from what The Acting Grand Master has told me, its that the final corrupted tear isn't but less than an hour from where we are" Diluc states, examining his heavy sword.
"Exactly" The Acting Grand Master agreed. "The location of the final tear is somewhere in that area, in a Hilichurl campsite"
"Then I guess we shouldn't wait. We should go get it while it's still daylight" Paimon suggests.
"All ready ahead of you, Paimon. Traveler? Care for another quest?" Jean asked, arms crossed.
"I'm always ready" Aether nodded, agreeing.
"Good. Skywalker? What about you?" She then turns to me.
"Heh, I'm always ready, for any adventure" I replied, putting up a confident face.
And after a few minutes of small talk, we rest for just a moment. Ready for another journey, our little group sets out again, walking towards the final dragon tear...
moments later...
"Hey Diluc, I heard that the Fatui have recently proclaimed you "persona non grata"". Jean informs the redhead, starting up another conversation.
"Hmph, what an honor" He sarcastically replies. "Nobody was ever proclaimed "persona grata" by the Fatui anyway" he finishes, crossing his arms.
"Hm, these 'Fatui' remind me a lot of the crime syndicates on Coruscant, especially on the lower levels of the city" I thought to myself, keeping an eye out for sudden enemies.
"The Fatui? The diplomatic delegation from Snezhnaya? What have they got against Master Diluc?" Paimon asked, curious about Diluc's situation.
"The Fatui are a problem not only for the Knights-they also present a real threat to the whole of Mondstadt" The Acting Grand Master explains. "And when it comes to threats against Mondstadt, Diluc is-"
"sigh Thats enough, Jean" The tavern guy interrupts her. "You knights are subject to too many restrictions. You can't directly confront this so-called "diplomatic" scum" He continued, speaking his opinion. "Personally...I despise them. If I were to choose between "eating a Cryo Slime alive" or "joining the Fatui..." ...I'd prefer to be crushed yo death by a meteorite"
"Straight to the point, that's pretty admirable" I told him. "With choices like those, sometimes it's better to improvise"
"Geez, your wording is so very dramatic..." Paimon replied, puffing her cheeks out a little.
"Hmm, think what you want, I stand by my words..." The redhead doubles down.
"Huh, that does sound pretty dramatic actually..." Aether adds, and is quickly cut off by The Acting Grand Master.
"Stop. We are here now, everyone"
Jean POV - Dadaupa Gorge (Mondstadt-Territory)
"That's strange...there's practically no Hilichurls here. Even despite the tear being located at such a large campsite" I thought to myself, crouching behind a large rock. Spying and wondering why a Hilichurl campsite like this would be this barren.
"It's too easy. Isn't it?" Diluc points out, kneeling by my side.
"Exactly, it doesn't make much sense as to why they would leave their camp like this" I replied, thinking of possible reasons, along with some strategies.
"I have an idea" Anakin casually blurts out, sitting on the ground.
"Hey! Last time you said that we all got attacked!" Paimon reminds him, looking slightly adorable even when mad.
"Well, we still got the tear didn't we? Besides, at least we didn't get killed" He joked.
"..."
"...What?" He bluntly asked.
"ahem Maybe I can just sneak over there and grab it?" The Traveler suggested, sitting on a tree stump.
"That idea is just as crazy as his" Paimon criticized.
"Paimon wait, that...actually could work" I admitted, still unsure about that idea. "Perhaps we can provide some form of a distraction while the Traveler goes to retrieve the last of Dvalin's tears" I suggested, adding further context.
"Sounds good, but we still haven't accounted for a plan of escape" Diluc interjects.
"I have an escape plan" Skywalker butts in again. "Still involves us being put in some form of danger though"
"sigh Alright then, Anakin. What's your plan for us to escape?"
Aether POV - Dadaupa Gorge (Mondstadt - Territory)
Back at this again.
"Why does this remind me of the Cathedral incident again? Oh wait, now I remember" Last time I did something that involved being sneaky, The Holy Lyre der Himmel was stolen.
"Yeah, and Anakin made himself public enemy number one...somehow"
Pushing away my train of thoughts, I focus on what's at stake; the lives of Dvalin AND Mondstadt. Making sure this 'stealth' mission goes smoothly, I had Paimon go ahead and scout ahead...as long as buy her her favorite snacks.
Hiding behind a tree, I wait for the next part of the plan, which should be-
"Traveler!" The sudden voice of Paimon interrupts my train of thought.
"Huh? Paimon?"
"The coast is clear. Are we going to grab it or not?" She whispers loudly, acting slightly nervous.
"Not yet, just a few more.."
*distant explosion*
*Hilichurl battle cries*
"...now. Now is good!" I yell, running out of the hiding and towards the chest at the top of the stairway.
"Traveler! Wait for me!" Paimon yelps, flying after me.
By the time she caught up to me, I have already opened the chest, and was greeted by the last of Dvalin's tears...among other things.
"Ooooo...Paimon is keeping these!" She cheered, holding up a handful of Mora.
"Fine, let's just get out of here al...ready" And just as we turned around, we are confronted by an Abyss Mage! "Paimon! Get behind me!" I yell, pulling out my sword to face this monster.
And just before any of us could make a move...
Weeee!! Ahhhhhh...!!!(yanked away)
"Whoa! What was that?!" Paimon cried out.
"That was-"
"Aether! Hurry up! We need to go!" Anakin shouted, decapitating the Abyss Mage with his weapon as he pulled it towards him.
"Sheesh! That guy can be scary sometimes" I thought to myself, running past him, corrupted tear in hand. "I got it! Come on!" I shouted to him.
"Right behind you!" Skywalker shouted back, LEAPING across the air above us. "The others are just up ahead!" He informed.
"Up ahead? But we're heading right towards a corner!" Paimon stated, panicking as the Hilichurls began to chase us!
"Traveler! Skywalker! Over here!" Jean shouted, appearing behind a boulder, along with Master Diluc.
"Now or never Skywalker!" Diluc shouts, watching the large amount of Hilichurls close in on us.
"You said it not me! Everyone, hold on!" Anakin warned, smirking a little.
"Huh? Hold on to what-Whoaaa!? One moment, we're on the ground, the next, we're thrown high into the air by a mysterious force before landing safely above the cliffs.
Bewildered, everyone's thoughts ran wild over what just transpired. And even more stunned to see Anakin leap all the way up , in a single bound.
"Heh, talk about a close call right?" He joked, only to receive shocked stares. "...What?"
"What...was that?"
"A-Anakin? How did you..?" Jean stuttered.
"Whoa! That was awesome! How did you do that!?" Paimon asked, stars flashing in her eyes.
Standing in-front of us, Anakin proudly explains what had just happened. "That, kid...was The Force"
*minutes later*
That...was a crazy conversation, the things Anakin had just told us, about his...powers? Anyway, after we had obtained the last of Dvalin's tears, Master Diluc suggested we travel to his winery to preform the purification of the Holy Lyre.
"So, once we arrive at Dawn Winery, we purify the teardrop crystals and restore the Holy Lyre der Himmel?" Paimon questions, trying to understand the next part of the plan.
"Mhm, we already have Venti waiting for us at the winery, with the lyre in-hand" The Acting Grand Master confirms.
"I can only hope that the bard hasn't completely consumed all of my inventory" Diluc mutters with slight annoyance.
"I wouldn't doubt it" I said to him.
"You know, this day has been pretty cool. Especially the battles we just experienced" Paimon said in excitement.
"Cool huh? You don't seem like the kind of being to be interested in conflicts" Anakin tells her, walking next to me.
"Hey! Paimon can have interests too right? Speaking of interesting, you making us fly up that cliff was pretty cool!" My flying companion tells him.
"Huh, thanks kid. Its just something I liked doing in my old world" Anakin tells her.
"Huh...okay. Either way, your way cooler than that Tone Deaf Bard. Your deserve a cool nickname!" Paimon happily suggests.
"Really now? Alright then, kid. What kind of cool nickname do you have in mind?" Anakin replies.
"Hm, they seem to be getting along pretty fast" I said to myself, watching those two socialize.
"Hmm...Paimon will call you...Oh! I got it!" The pixie cheered. "Paimon will call you Skyguy!"
Anakin POV - Dawn Winery (Mondstadt-Territory)
"Paimon will call you Skyguy!"
"Skyguy...! Skyguy...! Skyguy...!"
"That name...how long? How long has it been since I've last heard that name...?" Hearing that girl call me that name, brought back so many memories... memories I haven't had since-
"Woohoo!" Paimon cheered, breaking my train of thoughts. "Dvalin Protection Squad! Assemble!"
Surprisingly, that Venti kid wasn't completely drunk "Let's put our crystals together" he instructed. "Oh.. The color of these crystals looks...muddy" The bard stated, stunned by the crystal's appearance. "Dvalin... You're going through so much pain..."
"So much pain... that's too familiar" I thought to myself, not paying much attention to their conversation.
"...Let's start purifying these crystals first. Please, if you will Traveler" Venti said, asking for Aether's help.
Stepping on up, Aether handles the red teardrop crystals, purifying them and their color. Truthfully, that was an amazing sight, watching the three crystals turn to a soft bluish-green color.
"Huh...I feel surprisingly calm now" I said in my mind.
"It is hard to believe such a thing is possible, until you've seen it with your own eyes" Jean muttered, wherever to herself, or to us.
"Interesting. It's like filtering wine. The process is... refreshing"
"I think we should have enough tears now. So next we..." The bard left his sentence hanging.
"...Next we 'what?'" I ask.
"Simple, we use the crystals on the Holy Lyre like last time" Venti finished.
"Let me give it a try..." Aether requested, taking hold of the now purified teardrop crystals, and guiding them towards that colorful instrument. The process, the color of that lyre...the life within that instrument now restored, outshone even the scenery all around us...
"It worked!" Paimon cheered, almost making me jump a little.
"It seems completely different from before" Jean pointed out the obvious, not sure why though.
"The lyre's Anemo power seems fully restored. We should be able to use it now" Venti stated. "It's all thanks to you, Traveler"
"Hey! We helped too!" Paimon angrily corrected.
"Exactly. Seems kind of rude, don't you think?" I asked.
"Whoa! All right then, it's all thanks to... everyone here!" The young bard cheered again.
Now that we got that out of the way... "Now, where should we summon Stormterror?" The Acting Grand Master questioned. "It must be away from the city, else there will be casualties should we fail. Perhaps here at the winery...?" Jean wondered.
"If the winery was destroyed, it's not something I couldn't eventually fix, but... I'd still rather not go through the hassle" The Diluc guy responded, in a more 'reasonable' tone.
"Eh?" Taken aback, Jean stood there perplexed, but accepted his response wholeheartedly.
"Relax, Jean. We can't ask too much from private citizens, we should be grateful that 'Master' Diluc lended us his place of business as the location for us to preform ours" I explained to her, reminding her of the honor us knights must hold.
"The wind that blows at sea or in high places should be able to carry a bard's words far away" The green bard came up with an answer. "It's never going to work if the air is too dry or suffocating" He explained.
"Paimon understands. Sea or high places, right?" The pixie stated. "Then the best location to play the lyre would be..."
"...The sea, maybe? What about a cliff?" Aether suggested, looking at everyone.
"Huh, sounds like a great idea actually, I was about to suggest that he plays it in the sky. Try out his instrument as he glides through the air" I told him, crossing my arms as I pictured what that would look like.
"Heh, that actually sounds like a really fun idea" Venti admitted.
"Ahem" Jean coughed.
"Oh, right. Sorry, Jean" The bard apologized.
"If you go east from Starfell Lake, there are mountains south of the beach" Diluc informed us.
"...Oh! You mean that beach we were on when you told Paimon about your sister?" Paimon told Aether. Strange..., the situation of a twin searching for their other half, it's feels like a coincidence, but... this does remind me of my own children.
"Huh, still feels a little weird knowing that I actually have kids"
"If you head to where the cliff justs out-that place is known as Starsnatch Cliff" The tavern owner says. "What do you think, bard? Meets the requirements, no?"
"Lemme think... Starsnatch Cliff..." The bard pondered. "...Alright, let's do it there"
"Very well. Then let's meet at Starsnatch Cliff when we are ready. Please don't be late" The Acting Grand Master instructed.
"Hee-hee! Yes, Ma'am!" Paimon teased.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to..." Jean apologized, but whatever she said next escaped my ear, as I began to grow curious about this 'dragon' situation...
*moments later...*
Lunchtime, we take time to fill our stomachs before we head off to this... Starsnatch Cliff. And with the sunset still being hours away, I took this time as an opportunity to learn about the others.
Starting with...
"Great job, Skywalker. Now, look at what I can do!" Venti cheered.
"That's...very good to hear" I replied "Tell me about Dvalin"
"Dvalin used to be my friend... I still regard him as such. We used to listen to the songs of the wind and sing Ode to the Dandelion together... That's why I remember him as someone gentle" he explained.
"I see...your relationship with this...Dvalin, sounds complicated, but its still admirable. ...So, what about wine?"
"Oh? Wine! Mondstadt is famous for it's wine. It's the city's most prized treasure, I'd say. It's dandelion wine is the best! Actually, the scent of dandelion in the wind alone is enough to get you drunk" The young bard joked.
"Huh, so much for having a healthy conversation" I told myself. I wonder what the other guy is like, referring to the tavern owner.
"Although we may be able to negotiate with Stormterror, we'll most likely have to fight. Please be ready for it" Diluc informs me.
"In my area of expertise, I'm always ready for what is thrown at me" l reply to him. "By the way, why have you decided to help us, you don't seem like the kind of man to interfere in the business of others" I asked him.
Crossing his arms, he willingly answered "I mostly decided to do it on a whim. Though I must say, that bard is quite intriguing, including yourself. Besides, it's bad for my business if we keep letting Stormterror do whatever it pleases. Let me be clear though. I did it for the Outlander, not for the Knights" Diluc explained, an a less-happier tone than the bard.
"Reasonable answer, from what I've seen, they don't really seem to be 'Knight' worthy, more like public servants" I reply. "Anyway, I'll be heading off then, something else I need to take care of" I inform him.
"Nothing more? We'll meet at Starsnatch Cliff then" The redhead stated, leaving the main room. As for me, I do the same, stepping outside the winery before running into Jean.
"Hm? Anakin?"
"Master Jean" I acknowledged her "Nice seeing you out here"
"I could say the same" She answered back. "I know I'm here on official business, so why did I sound so stern just now? It seems I struggle to break out of work mode"
"You too, huh? I still have that issue, especially from my military days" I tell her. "So, tell me about your Knights? What are they like?"
Thinking of a fair answer, The Acting Grand Master gives me her opinion. "The Knights of Favonius were all very busy dealing with the aftermath of the incident. I'm a bit ashamed of myself for it..." She paused. "If only I was a stronger leader... Or at least good enough to boost the morale and the strength of our troops like our Grand Master does..." Jean explained. "...No, I cannot feel sorry for myself. We need to solve our problems first. Right?"
"Of course, but, please remember this. Always take time to look after yourself, if you continue to let all these takes pile on you, it won't be long before you collapse from exhaustion. Leader or not, there is no shame in asking for help from others, besides, leadership is more than just responsibility" I explain, standing next to her.
Speechless, I can't really tell if she's impressed or not, but she does look flustered. "I-I see, I've never seen it that way, it didn't seem traditional, especially to my role" Jean explained.
"Well, now you know, it's just one of the many lessons in being a Master. Moving on, what's the deal with this...'Holy Lyre?'" I asked.
"Barbatos' sacred relic, Mondstadt's treasure... The Holy Lyre. No wonder it has the power to purify evil... I hope it will help us save Dvalin, like Venti says. If it can, then it truly is a blessing bestowed upon us by Lord Barbatos" Jean states, her voice filled with unwavering hope.
"Huh, you really are a Knight, aren't you? You're willingness to help others, it's admirable" I tell her. "sigh I should go now, I still have other things to 'attend' to. I'll see you all at Starsnatch Cliff"
"Wait"
"?" I stop in my tracks.
"...Good luck, with what you're planning to do" Jean tells me. "After all this, do you think we can share stories? I am quite interested in learning more about you. If you would like that! Of course" She clarified, a faint blush present.
"Share stories, huh? Don't see the harm in that" It does sound interesting actually. "Sure, only if we can spar together sometime, I can teach you a few tricks" I said back, smirking a little.
"Oh! I do not mind a friendly spar, I look forward to it" She answered, smiling before I began to walk back to Mondstadt. "...Anakin"
I turn to face her one last time.
"ahem...May the Force be with you"
End. Chapter 14
I'm surprised I actually made it before this crazy hurricane hit my state.
Going through and writing this chapter, I definitely feel like Anakin should socialize with other characters. Which is why I'll be doing a small-ish segment between Anakin and Jean, training and sharing life stories.
I'm also wondering how I'll be writing the next chapter, Anakin utilizing more of his abilities against the Abyss Order and Dvalin. Along with the Abyss finding/knowning about The Chosen One.
In other news, after seeing the Natlan War against the Abyss, I'm extremely tempted to try out a more larger war scene; featuring Anakin Skywalker leading...
The Jedi Order VS The Abyss Order