"...Are you really...?
...Are you really...Grandfather...?"
Those were Amber's earlier words, which sounded so heartbroken,
In reaction to which, the "Chimera", no...Xi Feng froze in place for a few seconds,
The momentarily distraction giving the "Elder" the upper hand, as he struck the other with all his power...
*This happened so suddenly and so fast, if he wasn't an immortal he would have surely missed it entirely...
...
Amber's Grandfather...Xi Feng was clearly badly wounded now,
With not only the darkened haze starting to seep out of his body, but...
-...Venti, please use your 'Power of the Thousand Winds' on me, so I can reach my Grandfather. -His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the familiar voice of Amber, who was glancing towards her grandfather with teary eyes, her expression even more heartbroken than before. -...The Winds told me about the...C-current situation and...-Her voice trailed off, just as the tears started to fall. -...I-I have to...T-talk to him...B-before he...
-I know, Amber. This is why I brought you here, after all...-Barbatos couldn't help but soon say, trying to look and sound reassuring and mostly failing. If he could only revert Xi Feng's state back to how it was before the experiment...-...I am going to give you as much time as you need. -He soon added upon starting to use his power, just as Amber quietly took out and equipped her Windglider. If only there was something else he could do...But even after all this time that had passed, he still didn't know what else he could possibly...-..."Elder" (and no, I still don't care to learn your name), stand back. You have already done more than enough.
He soon told the other in as much authority as he could muster at the moment,
As he tried really hard not to feel guilty about this whole situation...
*Where he, as an Archon...Their Archon...
...
Could only do this much to actually help them...
As she was floating towards her Grandfather,
Amber couldn't help but remember the past...
*The time when she still had her last family member left,
As her parents...
...
"An Bai, there is something you must know. It's about your parents.
You are old enough to be told of this now."
...
That's right, it was then that Grandfather told her about them,
A duo of knights who wished to protect their home and both were killed on the line of duty.
*Now that she remembers it, while telling her of their story Grandfather was guilt stricken,
As if he blamed himself for what happened to them, for them dying in battle...
...
"I was the one who taught your father about the love for your nation and he in turn, taught it to your mother, who was his childhood friend.
Not only that, but I was also the one who made them believe that becoming a knight would be the best...T-the best for...
...If only I wasn't so arrogant and pushy back then...! T-they wouldn't have...!"
"It's okay, Grandfa...Grandpa. You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to them. There was nothing that you could have done, right...?
...Besides, didn't you tell me yourself that they were very proud when they finally finished their knight training and officially became knights...? Do you remember what they told you back then...?"
"...'We are truly grateful for being given a chance to finally be able to protect everyone in Mondstadt, all of our friends and our family: Our beautiful and energetic daughter and the person who taught us so much.'...I-I remember it, even now. They worked hard to become knights and never regretted the path that they chose.
...Thank you, An Bai. For reassuring me that their deaths were not my fault."
After these words Grandfather enveloped her in a hug,
One which she soon happily returned...
*If only she could hug her Grandfather now,
For one last time...
...
"Grandfather, just where did you disappear to...? After following your trail to Qingce Village, I seem to have lost it entirely…
...I wish that you could see just how much I have grown. If only you were..."
No, this was not the time for her to feel hopele...Disappointed,
As the Knights of Favonius' only Outrider, she couldn't give up now!
*With her tracking skills, surely, one day she will be able to find him for sure!
...
But even when she asked the Winds for info, they too didn't know much...
*And now she knows why...Her Grandfather was...
...
-...An Bai...I am glad...To see that...You grew up...So well...Became a great...Outrider...The best I...Could hope...For...-She soon heard the familiar warm voice of her Grandfather, one which sounded so weak. Was he truly, slowly...? -...I'm sorry...For leaving...You so...Suddenly...-Her Grandfather continued in sadness, looking so...Guilt Stricken. No! He shouldn't feel regret! There must be a reason why he left back then! And now, because of that...MONSTER...! -...I wish...That...Back then...I...
And then, as if everything was happening in slow motion,
He weakly closed his eyes and started falling down from the sky...
*Her Grandfather...The only immediate family she had left!
...
Moments later she was before his falling form, trying to reach him,
But when she finally managed to...Just like sand, he...
...
...
He crumbled down before her eyes!
*N-No…! GRANDPA!
…
…
And then...The memories poured in,
Ones she...Thought she already forgot...
...
Of their times together,
Her and...Grandfather...
...
"Hold the bow firm and steady, An Bai. Try to keep the bowstring pulled back for as long as you are able to.
I know it's still hard for you to do, as unlike how it might seem, a certain amount of force is required for this. But don't worry, once you have fully learnt the basics and had enough upper body training...
...Not bad, your posture is already looking good. And the way you are holding onto the bowstring...You are truly a fast learner, my courageous Grandchild."
...
"The Lawrence child, her name is Eula, right...? Her family is truly the worst, can't even show her any love and affection.
I wish I could have adopted her, but it doesn't look like it's possible. Perhaps, if she can spend more time away from THEM, then...
An Bai, can you invite her to our home the next time you two meet?"
…
"...Huh…? What was that so suddenly…? Sticks and…Feathers…?
…
…An Bai, I know that with my age, my hair does not look as good as it used to, but did you truly need to drop a bird nest on top of it…?
…You were trying to steal the eggs…? I might be a 'single grandpa', but we are not so poor as to steal eggs from random bird nests. Besides, that one looked like a pigeon nest. And since we are still in Springvale…
Alright, stay here. I am going to take care of it. Just don't do this again, alright…?"
…
"This is a recurve bow that goes by the name of 'Favonius Warbow', An Bai. Once you become an official KoF member, you will be given one of those, as well.
...How it was made, you ask...? I am not trying to sound arrogant, but your grandfather was the one who made it! As for the full story...
...It is quite a long one and we still have some things to take care of. You have your Outrider training, while I have to do some "Captain Work".
How about I tell you the whole story late in the evening...? By then, both of us would surely have some free time."
...
"...You invited the Lawre..Eula to dinner, yes...? Currently, it should be around four hours before that, right...?
...To tell you the truth, grandfather is worried about how she will like the food. Since both of us have Liyuan blood, we can enjoy spicy food. But as for Eula who is fully Mondstadtian...
...I am not certain if I should cook any Liyuan dishes today. What if they turn out way too spicy for her and she no longer wants to come for a visit...?"
…
"...You still need to work on your aim, An Bai. It was a good thing that we were in an open field or it could have gotten very bad. A forest fire might have started or worse…
…Continue your bow training and try not to set any more Dendro Slimes on fire, especially not near any flammables, alright…?"
…
"Congratulations on becoming an official knight, An Bai. I am so proud of you!
I have decided, today we are going to have a feast! What dishes do you want me to make...?
...What, you don't care what I make since it's going to be tasty either way...? That wouldn't do! This is a special day that needs to be celebrated in full and...!"
...
"...Something feels amiss, but I am not certain what...Could some kind of trouble be afoot and...?
...Oh, An bai, how long were you standing there...? What worries me...? You heard all that, huh...
To tell you the truth, I am not certain of it myself. But my Outrider intuition tells me that something is about to go horribly wrong.
...I have to get to the bottom of it, before it impacts all of our lives..."
"...An Bai...I am glad...To see that...You grew up...So well...Became a great...Outrider...The best I...Could hope...For...
...I'm sorry...For leaving...You so...Suddenly...
...I wish...That...Back then...I..."
Xi Feng's words to his granddaughter, his final goodbyes to Amber,
It was already hard to watch, knowing that there was nothing that he could do,
But what followed after, when Xi Feng's body started crumbling down and Amber's reaction…
*First she was completely frozen with an expression of horror and disbelief and then…
…
"N-NO…! GRANDPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
A yell of desperation, one she probably was too overwhelmed to even notice making,
Before she "froze" in place once more, as her face was now going through many different expressions…
*If only there was something he could do, instead of staying back and watching things unfold...
...
Perhaps now, when Xi Feng's body has crumbled, using his Time Power would...
"Lord Barbatos, thank you for letting me see my granddaughter for one last time. For me, this is more than enough.
...What happened to me was a result of my own choices. Because I rushed into things and didn't think of the possible consequences."
...
Xi Feng suddenly calling out to him, as the man's voice was heard in his head…
*But his body had already fully crumbled and his soul was nowhere to be seen, so how...?
…Or was this...The man's last message, told in a prayer...?
...
If so, then,
HE had to hear it!
...
"That day five years ago during Ursa the Drake's attack and Master Crepus' death, it was apparent that something went terribly wrong.
And so, without much thinking, I left my post as a knight, my new home and even my granddaughter in order to seek out the truth. During that time, I found out about the Fatui's machinations, as well as the growing threat of the Abyss Order.
Soon enough, my search for the truth led me to Qingce Village, the place familiar to me during my days as a mercenary. It was also the spot near which some Abyss Monsters had recently appeared. It did not take me long to find the recently opened Abyss Portal.
...By that point in time, I should have sent a report back, asking for reinforcements. Yet in my foolishness and reluctance to do so after leaving my post as a knight, I did not."
The message continued, sounding sad and regretful,
Before a long deep sigh was soon heard, followed by long silence...
*Barbatos decided to patiently wait for the message to continue,
Understanding quite well why it stopped now and for such a long time...
...
For a long time, Xi Feng must have regretted the choice he made that day...
...
...
"After getting some provisions for the journey ahead, I soon entered the Abyss Portal and found myself a spot to hide.
My goal from then on was to sneak on the Abyss Order members and find as much information as I possibly could. Information that I soon wrote down in my journal.
The days went by and I found out quite a bit, yet my provisions were starting to dawdle. And with both the portal now possibly closed, as well as the fact I was already quite deep inside...I decided to try my luck stealing from the members of the Abyss Order.
It worked for the first few times, before I was finally caught and was about to be sent to the organization's leader.
...This is when I was "saved" by that madman, whose madness I did not know of at the time. Yet I still felt something eerie from him and so I hid the journal the first chance I got. It is in a hidden spot between Qingce Village and the portal he led me out from. I would gladly tell you its exact location by the end of this message, Lord Barbatos."
The message continued, before there was a pause again,
Followed by a few seconds of silence...
*The Archon wondered if perhaps Xi Feng felt guilty again,
But for what it was this time, he did not know...
...
"...That...Person...When he started his experimentation on me, he told me of his intentions with maniacal glee.
He knew about me and my Granddaughter, having planted his own man as a spy in the Knights: Inspector Eroch, the man who made sure to conceal the truth about Master Crepus' death.
...What he told me next...It made me feel the kind of rage I didn't even think I could feel...It was his reason for experimenting on me, for turning me into a monster.
'That granddaughter of yours is just too energetic, too happy...And way too annoying. Makes me want to completely break her spirit.', were his cruel words, as he showed me the smile of a complete madman. All along, this was done for that…Monster's amusement…
…By this point, can he even be called 'a human being'…? Or even a person for that matter…
..Lord Barbatos, please continue taking care of Mondstadt, its people, my granddaughter An Bai and her friend, Little Eula. And please, be extremely wary of that…Maniac and those similar to him. The things…"People" like them can do are nothing less than completely abhorrent."