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The sun’s light filtered through the leaves and branches of the resting place of the great hero of Mondstadt.
“Lady Vennessa, I hope your watch over Mondstadt remains unclouded.”
The gentle hues cascaded over the Acting Grandmaster’s shoulders. Crystal butterflies passed overhead.
“I do not know if I, or the rest of the world,”
The young Grandmaster kneeled against her blade of Favonius, mostly from exhaustion. Dandelion tufts flew by, so free, unlike herself.
“Have become stronger, as you had hoped for.”
Self-sacrifice, after all, is the Dandelion Knight’s path.
“Am I truly fit to be the Dandelion Knight? Do I uphold this title as it should be?”
Jean tilted her head up to the resting oak, maybe even up to the sky. Even looking up puts a strain on her body. Her face cringed a bit from the pain. What kind of Grandmaster, nay, Knight of Favonius is she? To just collapse when she’s needed most is a true shame indeed.
“I need to be there for the people of Mondstadt. I have to,” She gazed back down, her strength failing her. “Otherwise, how am I the Acting Grandmaster?”
Only during moments of true vulnerability does she let her heart out to Lady Vennessa. A thin stream of tears dropped onto the sacred ground below.
God, not even holding back tears is something Jean was even capable of doing anymore. She brashly wiped her cheek. The cold metal of her gauntlet felt harsh against her skin.
“I,”
Jean bit her lip.
“I am sorry Lady Vanessa. If only I was strong enough to truly handle these responsibilities,”
Her grip around her sword tightened.
“If only I could be a fraction of your strength then perhaps I-”
She paused.
Although she’s still ever so weak and her senses poor, there was something wrong.
But she was too slow to react.
An arrow punctured through the back of her right shoulder. She was only able to stand before being struck. Her sword fell to the dirt as she staggered, clutching her wound.
Sharpened and barbed it was, she could tell just from the pain. It hurt. Hurts so much more than it should. A grimace reached her face. Jean could normally shake off arrows, but in her current state, it appears not to be the case. She could feel the blood gushing out of the penetration.
“Who’s there! Reveal yourself!” Jean’s voice wavered slightly. Not great for intimidating the enemy while you're trying to not bleed out.
“The Acting Grandmaster, alone and helpless,”
A Pyro Abyss mage emerged from behind the Statue of Barbatos, chuckling to itself.
“An opportune time to rid this world of such a pest!”
With shaky fingers, she grasped the hilt of her trusted longsword, her shoulder burning. She raised her blade and assumed a battle stance.
“If you truly think I would have fallen by such despicable means, you better think again.”
“Oh ho ho, and where did you think the arrow came from, Favonius Knight?” It raised its arms, signalling for the rest of its party to emerge.
Hilichurls armed to the brim with clubs and crossbows rose from behind the cracks of the Tree and shrubbery. There must have been at least ten surrounding her.
And within an instant, the bloodbath began.
One slash to the left, one to the right and a final sweep into the air. Three of the hilichurl fighters flew up in suspension, giving Jean the moment she needed to strike.
However, her follow up attack was stopped abruptly by the agonizing pain of the lodged arrow. The Grandmaster faltered, clutching her shoulder once more. She cursed silently, cursing her frail body failing her in a time of need.
Her opportunity wasted, the hilichurls were back on their feet again in her moment off guard. With a scowl, she stepped forward and severed the three in one fell swoop.
Blood spewed all over her face and blade. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But her victory was short-lived as arrows shot once more at her. The young knight bolted at these foes, a storm gathering at her sword.
She struck, a torrent of winds blasting them away. It could’ve been stronger, but she felt her energy already beginning to fade. Her attention is brought back to the scene by the blasts of flames at her feet. The Abyss mage cackled, summoning more blazes forth.
Hot embers smoldered her cheeks as she barely eluded the fires. Her reaction timing began to slow down until her arm was set ablaze. In the panic, she tried to blast off the flames with her winds but her increasing headache, terribly pained shoulder and her arm on fire made it difficult.
In her moment of distraction, remaining hilichurl shooters and mitachurls made their move. Arrows pierce the Grandmaster’s back as a mitachurl takes a great swing at her face.
She narrowly dodges the axe, but the arrows gash deep into the skin under her cloak. She stumbles once more and the mitachurl steps forward to strike again.
“Wind, hear me!”
A burst of gales surrounded her, sending the mitachurl back. Dandelions drift around the field of Anemo energy. Energy somewhat revitalized, she stabs and cleaves at the beast.
It falls back again and again from her barrage until it’s nothing but another stain on her clothing. Bitter iron in her mouth, she can’t even tell if it’s her own or the enemies blood.
There is still the Abyss mage to deal with. Her newfound strength has already faded, all her wounds coming back to remind her of her sickly body.
She cannot fall here, she can’t. But lightheaded, exhausted, she ever so wants to collapse. Her grip on her blade loosens, her head is now a pulsing migraine. Her shoulder down to her arm feels like it’s going to fall off.
The Abyss mage snickered at the Dandelion Knight’s plight. She realizes that the very first arrow that struck her was in fact, poisoned. What a truly devious tactic.
Arm still numb, head still aching and body ever so beaten and bruised, she strides forward. She will not fall here. Not for as long as the winds continue to blow.
With a dash of any energy she has left, she lunges her blade into the Abyss mage. Her blade pierces into its cloak, the sorcerer shrieking. But she refuses to let it slip away and teleport from her now.
She thrusts even further until the tip of her blade exits out the back of the mage. Winds gather around the edge of the steel and blast the wicked creature into oblivion.
The red body sails through the sky, landing not too far. She has to make sure it’s been killed. She has to.
Jean turns to run to where the mage landed, but her legs give in. She buckles over into the soft grass and flowers. She forces herself to stand again but collapses once more.
She can’t fail here. Not now, not ever.
“For Mondstadt, as always.” She grunts to herself, as if her family’s motto would do anything.
Her breath is ever so heavy, her body on the verge of losing consciousness. She kneels against her Favonius longsword, this time to prevent herself from toppling over.
She takes a breath.
“We should be at Windrise right about,” The little fairy known as Paimon explains as she points towards the great tree.
“Now.”
However, the sight is not what the traveling duo expected. Patches of the grass completely scorched, arrows embedded into the ground and the sight of blood all over this once pristine field.
“What even happened? Is Jean okay?” Paimon exclaims at the Traveler who has already summoned their blade.
It doesn’t take long to find the trail of blood from the Archon Statue all the way to the other side of the plain. It must have been a gruesome battle.
“Jean!” The fairy is the first to fly up to the Acting Grandmaster slumped over her sword.
“Jean! Are you okay?” She gently shakes her shoulder.
Bruises, cuts and bolts adorned her back. Red seeped into her once immaculately kept blonde hair and tailcoat. Without her cloak, her completely exposed back was a terrible sight. One particularly grave spot was on her shoulder. A ghastly wound still bleeding out.
“Come on you dolt, hurry up!” Paimon smacks the Traveler’s back.
Turning her over, her face is almost as bad as her back. Just as bloody and bruised but lacking in any proper cuts. Her expression is calm, eyes closed. They shake her, again and again.
“Master Jean! Come on Jean!” With each call of her name, the fairy’s voice seems to waver.
The Master doesn’t stir.
“S-She can’t be gone right? Right?” Paimon’s hands grasp at the Traveler’s for reassurance.
Then her eyes open. Just a crack. Her gentle cornflower eyes gaze at the Traveler.
“Honorary Knight,” Her voice is hoarse and her breathing about as strong as a midnight breeze in the Mare Jivari. She nudges the Traveler’s hand with her own with the bit of strength she has left.
“The Pyro Abyss mage, I have to, I have to kill it.” She turns to reach for her blade, but the Traveler pulls back her hand.
“It’s my duty.” She begins to sit up but Paimon jumps in to stop her.
“No Jean! You’re in no condition to fight right now! Traveler, let’s head back to Mondstadt.” They nod in agreement.
The Traveler hoists up Jean and supports her from their shoulder, guiding her back to the path towards Mondstadt, but everyone already knows what is going to happen. The inevitable end to this story.
“I-I must, I must keep Mondstadt safe, I,” She feebly reaches for her sword, being carried by the Traveler.
They don’t let her even close to it.
“Jean, you can barely move how would you even-” But before Paimon even finishes talking, the Dandelion Knight crumples to the floor again.
“Jean!”
The traveling duo rush to her aid, but by now, it’s already clear what’s happening. The Traveler wastes no time to carry her by themself.
“Honorary Knight,” Her voice is barely audible with the sounds of branches breaking under their feet and the wind gushing past.
“I have failed you,” Her eyes begin to well up.
“No no no Jean! You haven’t! Not yet! We’re almost there!” Paimon grasps at the Jean’s sleeve.
The Traveler sprints faster, the banners of the Mondstadt bridge are in sight.
“I’ve always wondered when the day would come when I could finally relinquish my duties as Acting Grandmaster indefinitely,” Her eyes are hazy now even with her half-lidded eyes. She smiles amidst her pain.
“Protect Mondstadt for me.” Jean’s hand rests on the Traveler’s shoulder as her eyes close.
There are always dandelions that drift overhead the city of Mondstadt. No one ever knows when a dandelion will let its seeds fly, but all understand that the time will come eventually. Was the departure of the Dandelion Knight of fate? Or of one that was picked before it’s time?
The Cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius has been said to never take a risk taking scheme again after assuming the role of Acting Grandmaster. The knights never seen him drink as many Death after Noon's afterwards than all the time he has been captain. The librarian of the Knights of Favonius has been seen often in the company of dandelions in the Library, perhaps missing the scent of such a thing she used to always be around. The only Outrider of Mondstadt has been scouting out for Abyss mages even more than her usual hilichurl camp raids. Some say she's still looking for the one that brought the Dandelion Knight to her knees. In the Church of Favonius, the Deaconess hasn't burst into song for a long time. Some people believe she may never be the same shining idol again. Even beyond the city, the owner of the Dawn Winery has resented and cursed the Knights of Favonius more than ever. It has been said he's never looked into the eyes of a Knight of Favonius again.
The people of the city mourned the great loss of such a beloved figure. Jean Gunnhilder, eldest daughter of House Gunnhilder, Acting Grandmaster of Mondstadt and the Dandelion Knight. Dedicated to her city, to even her very last breeze.