Chapter Text
The sun's rays struck the small form lying still upon the beach. They were dressed in a simple yet elegant cloak, or at least it would have been had it not been soaking wet and full of cuts, a pair of waterlogged gloves rested upon their hands. Next to this unmoving form was a blade, a sheath, it was gilded and extravagant unlike anything that could be found in this region of Sumeru, the deserts and rainforest forcing function to be prioritized over form.
Warmth, it was a feeling this Wayfarer had not felt for a very long time, if ever. Slowly she rose, their legs shaky, and as he stood she was finally able to take in their surroundings. She was in a strange place, she was on a beach beneath a mountain of green. The Wayfarer looked down to see the sword next to them, clearly theirs but his but she was unsure where she had gotten it from, in fact she was unsure how he ended up here.
“Hey! You alright?”, a voice bellowed out, looking up the wayfarer saw a man come running up, he was dressed simply in a long blue shirt and flowy white pants, his hair was put up into a turban.
“Y-yes, I’m quite alright”, the Wayfarer answered though it was clear the man didn’t believe them.
“No offense but you’re soaking wet, your right hand is shaking weirdly, and you just seem dazed. Not to mention the area where you were lying is way redder than the rest of the sand.”, the man explained, as his eyes traveled up and down the Wayfarer’s body looking, “There’s a small port just to the East of here, if you want I can take you to it.”
“No no I’m fi-”, the Wayfarer tried to answer before the shock of their injuries fully wore off and she was forced to her knees, “O-On s-second thought maybe I’ll t-take you up on that offer”
At that the man pulled the Wayfarer’s arm over his shoulder and slowly began leading towards the small port to the East, “W-wait, my s-sword”, the Wayfarer weakly said as the pain became so intense he almost passed out again. The man sat the Wayfarer down and retrieved her sword, he examined the intricate blade and sheath before rushing back over.
“So, are you from Fontaine?”, the man asked as he once more grabbed the Wayfarer and began the slow trudge back.
“I-I’m not sure”, the Wayfarer replied, truthfully he was having trouble remembering anything but that wasn’t really their first concern.
“You aren’t sure? Well okay, can I atleast know your name, friend?”, the man asked, his face was etched full of concern but despite that he looked determined.
“A-again I’m not s-sure”, the Wayfarer responded once more unable to recall her past, still something flashed in her mind at the question he just couldn’t grasp exactly what it was.
“Well my nameless friend, I’m Jeevan”, the man disclosed, he was smiling at the Wayfarer, it was a genuine smile, something that despite her amnesic state the Wayfarer knew she had not seen in many years.
It was quiet after that, not for Jeevan’s lack of trying but it seemed that the Wayfarer was simply too absorbed with everything that had happened to them, the pain didn’t help matters. Still after an agonizing 40 minute trudge back towards civilization they finally arrived. Beyda Harbor, a relatively small port especially compared to Port Ormos, still it was a sight for sore eyes to the Wayfarer and his new Sumerian companion.
“Here there should be small inn nearby”, Javeen informed, “I’ll pay for a day’s stay”
“T-Thank you Javeen”, the Wayfarer said between breaths as pain flared up in their right hand.
As they approached Javeen sat the Wayfarer down on a bench outside while he went to rent out a room. This had the unfortunate side effect of leaving the Wayfarer alone with no memories in an unfamiliar town. Each person that passed by seemed to stare at the stranger, their gazes intense and curious at this blood-stained traveler who was shaking uncontrollably, not that the Wayfarer noticed her shaking.
It felt like an eternity waiting for Javeen. Each passerby’s stare boring holes into the Wayfarer as his heart beated faster and faster. She needed something to hold onto, or she was going to fall, she had to grab something, anything. Wait, her sword, that’s right they had a sword! Reaching out the Wayfarer grabbed his sword, or wait no there’s, there’s nothing there.
Jeevan took their sword, and now she was surrounded by strangers. Trapped, they were trapped, oh Archons they were trapped. Jeevan tricked them, he stole her sword, they were alone, alone, alone! Why couldn’t he breathe, she needed to breathe, air, they needed air. Falling, how was he falling, where had the ground gone, where was she, why couldn’t they breathe!
“Woha! Hey friend! Are you okay?”, Jeevan rushed to the Wayfarer’s side though he went unnoticed by the mysterious traveler, “Shit, okay um, I need you to breathe friend, just breathe for me okay”. Breathe, that’s right people need air to live, breathe, Wayfarer can do that, just breathe.
“That’s it friend, just breathe, do you need me to get anything for you?”, Jeevan slowly asked, his face pale with concern.
“M-My s-sword”, Wayfarer gasped out, she needed something familiar, she needed their last connection to the past. Nodding Jeevan quickly grabbed Wayfarer’s ornate blade and carefully placed it into one of Wayfarer’s hands. Quickly the familiar feel of cold steel began to calm Wayfarer’s panicked state. As air entered their lungs and the haze over her mind began to clear, Wayfarer calmed.
After that escapade Wayfarer was thoroughly tuckered out, his body still ravaged by injury and his mind faring no better, so carefully she and Jeevan walked into the small inn to rest as the sun began to sink below the sky. Though what none noticed as they went to bed was how the once vibrant blue jewel encased in the center of Wayfarer’s sword now shone a bright and luminous green, and with it how the winds seemed to calm with a promise to protect their new wielder.
-*-
“Furina should be in Bayda Dock by now, I think she’s encountered a new friend. If you don’t mind, could you go and keep an eye on her?”, a young but wise voice asked.
“Fine, but I don’t understand what's so important about this woman”, a brash voice answered back.
“Thank you, I think you’ll find you have a lot more in common then you would think”, the young voice said once more.
Without another word the machine made flesh, whose skin was as delicate and fragile as porcelain and whose hair and eyes shone a deep purple, rose into the air as if aided by the winds and flew off to the North. The once discarded doll left behind a small girl whose eyes showed far more wisdom than any child should have the burden of carrying.