Chapter Text
Those first few moments where you’re flying are always bliss. You can taste the freedom on the back of your tongue, your body surging with adrenaline; it’s as if you’re touching the sky after a world lived underground. The sun burning gloriously along your back as you peer unto the world below you.
Even better when you can look to your side and view the person you trust most in the universe, flying along beside you. The glow of the warm sun shining on their elated face as they too enjoy their freedom; nothing beats that.
In those moments you can free yourself. Forget the problems that arise from saving world after world. Forget the crying faces as you depart from a particularly long. Forget the blur that was your past. Forget how only one person understands you.
Forget that if you spend too long flying, the sun will burn you.
Forget the story of a man who flew too close to the sun.
Lumine jerked awake, unaware of what had startled her out of her sleep. Her eyes glazed over the rough camp she’d set up, eyes peeled for the hilichurls that most likely awoke her. The sun was only just beginning to peek over the horizon, letting light leak over the meager camp. Sweet flowers and starconchs littered the area around her. A nearby tree shaded a majority of the small area she had settled in, but what was unshaded by the tree was covered in a golden glow. Distantly she could see old ruins lost in the rough waves of the ocean.
When she didn’t spot any hilichurls she laid back down, refusing to give up those last few hours of sleep that she so desperately needed. The days were filled with hard work that left the young traveler exhausted; and yet she felt as if she’d made little to no progress since she’d suddenly awoke in the nearby area. Months had gone past, yet Lumine had found herself reluctant to leave the small beach she’d settled on. Hilichurls raged against her every time she attempted to venture outwards, and it was starting to get to her head.
She refused to let the negative thoughts invade her mind once again, choosing instead to close her eyes and let the rough waves on the shore lull her back to sleep. Before she could fall back into a restful sleep another sound startled her, this time coming from her bag.
She whirled around, eyes wide as she noticed a small… animal rummaging through her bag. She moved from her sleeping position carefully, for once avoiding the crunchy leaves that were strewn across the ground. Without a noise, she reached forward and quickly latched her hand around the small creature's neck. She pulled it away from her bag, almost dropping it when it let out a startled cry. She did actually drop it when she realized it was… human... ish?
“I… -uh… why are you going through my bag?” Lumine landed on, looking at the small girl angrily, despite being more confused than anything.
“Paimon was starving!! Paimon hasn’t eaten in hours and Paimon could smell freshly baked bread! And your bag was right there, wide open for the taking!”
“It wasn’t right there! It was beside my head while I slept! You’re… you’re stealing from me!” Lumine yelled at the girl who was presumably Paimon. Paimon instantly backpedaled, shaking her head rapidly as she suddenly began to float in front of Lumine's face, a trail of stars and constellations following after her.
“No no no! Paimon is so sorry! Paimon didn’t mean to steal! Paimon will… Paimon will make up for it! Are you from around here?” Lumine sighed, but clearly Paimon hadn’t intended to steal, not really, so she shook her head.
“I’m not of this world, but I’ve been stranded here without access to my powers. I-I woke up a couple of months ago, but I have no clue how long I’ve been asleep. I can’t remember but bits and pieces of my life before this world. I’ve lost something very important to me though, that much I know.” Paimon frowned, floating closer and slipping her hands into Lumines’. Lumine startled, unaware that she’d brought her hands up to stare at them.
“What have you been doing since you woke up? Paimon can hardly stand it out here in the wild! Paimon would’ve been doomed if they hadn’t found you!”
“I’ve been surviving, I guess you could call it. Trying to remember what happened and why I’m trapped here. Taking out hilichurl camps as well. There seem to be more of them in this area. They’ve been blocking my exit from this small cove and I had yet to see another person on this beach.”
“Paimon has a solution for you! Paimon can be your guide! We’re just on the ridge before the city of freedom, and Paimon has heard that the generous God known as Barbatos is back! Even took care of a recent problem with a dragon that’s been attacking the city. Paimon is sure they can help you find whatever it is you’ve lost!”
Lumine stared at Paimon, blown away by the generosity of the offer presented; it far outweighed the cost of bread. The girl had spent so long alone, chunks of her memories missing something so crucial, so important. Lumine found herself inclined to accept Paimon’s offer.
“I’m… that sounds like a great idea Paimon. I would really appreciate it,” she said, offering a small smile to the floating girl.
“Great! Follow Paimon right this way! And hey! Maybe if the journey goes on for too long we could even eat more of that bread! Paimon thinks you’re a great chef!”
The floating girl took off at a fast pace, leaving Lumine to quickly gather her things and take off after her, with nothing but a backward glance at the small camp that had become familiar the last couple of months. They didn’t make it far before hydro slimes began chasing them, but Lumine was quick to take them down, promising to defend Paimon while they were traveling together. Lumine insisted they stop to pick every sweet flower and sunnsettia they came across, listening to Paimon as she spilled an unlimited amount of knowledge about the region Lumine had found herself in; apparently called Mondstadt. (Though Lumine had to admit that most of the facts were about food, but related to Mondstadt none-the-less).
When she asked Paimon what this world was called she was given a questioning look by her newfound companion before ‘reminding’ Lumine that they were on Teyvat, where the seven elements flowed generously through both the land and the people. Lumine was quick to figure that Paimon didn’t quite believe that she’d traveled from world to world, which she deemed was fair considering she’d lost her power and proof of such travel.
“Speaking of the people of Teyvat and the humans, what exactly are you Paimon?” Lumine asked as the day grew old, finding herself curious about her floating companion.
“Paimon is Paimon!” She answered stubbornly, pouting at Lumine. This pulled a laugh out of the quiet traveler, startling her floating companion.
“Heyyy! That wasn’t supposed to be funny! Paimon is serious!”
“Apologies Paimon, you just made such a pouty face when you said it that I couldn’t hold back.”
The sun had already begun to set on the horizon ahead of them, fireflies lighting their path as they continued onwards. It wasn’t long before Paimon began to yawn, making her desire to sleep glaringly obvious. Lumine gave the soft suggestion to set up camp for the night, her eyes locked on the inky expanse of sky above them.
They were quick to find a clear patch of grass next to a beautiful waterfall, Lumine promising to stand guard for a bit to reassure Paimon that her fear of hilichurls attacking was heedless. Mostly though, Lumine found herself staring at the sky, finding it so familiar yet also inconceivable. She remembers dreams of flying through that inky expanse, visiting planet after planet with a comforting presence at her side; but nothing concrete. No names or memories came to mind when she thought of that presence. In fact, no name or memory came to mind for anyone.
Who were her parents? Had they been Gods who sent her and another off to discover the universe? Was she herself a God, now stripped of her power and stranded on a foreign planet?
It was these unrelenting thoughts that pulled Lumine into a restless slumber, tears running down her face in the harsh silence of the clearing.
The now-familiar sound of someone rifling through her things awoke Lumine, memories of the day before flooding her mind.
She rubbed at her eyes, looking around the small camp she and Paimon had set up, only for her eyes to land on Paimon, still asleep in her makeshift bed. She sat up straighter, her eyes flying to her bag, this time spotting a more aggressive figure leaning over her things.
Lumine couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped her mouth at the sight of a bulky man searching through her belongings; in knights armor, on top of that. Her gasp was enough to wake up Paimon and alert the man of their wakefulness, drawing the man's attention to her before Paimon let out a fearful screech.
“P-Paimon isn’t food! Please don’t eat us! Paimon’s not ready to go!” Lumine's flying companion zoomed behind her body, while Lumine allowed herself to be used as a human shield. The man startled, stumbling away from her bag, hands raised in surrender.
“I’m not going to eat you! I-I’m a member of the Knights of Favonius, we received a distress signal from this area! I wasn’t attempting to invade your space, pardon me!” The man took multiple steps back, attempting to appear less threatening, Lumine assumed.
“The Knights of Favonius? Paimon who’re they?” Lumine asked her small companion. The Knight gave her a confused look before glancing at Paimon.
“If Paimon remembers correctly they keep the city of freedom free! They protect the city's freedom under the command of the Grand Master!”
“Yes, though currently, we have an Acting Grand Master, Jean Gunnhildr. It was she who dispatched me to this area, actually. Have you seen anything suspicious in the area, by chance?” Lumine glanced around before shaking her head in reply, Paimon mirroring her action. The Knight let out a deep sigh, rubbing his face before looking up at the pair with a weak smile.
“Are you new to the area, Ma’am?” He asked Lumine.
“New to the world actually, but yes definitely new to the region,” she explained with an awkward smile, still calming after the rush of adrenaline she got from waking up to a new stranger. He laughed softly as if she were joking only for his face to fall flat when she didn’t join in on his laughter.
“By Barbatos, you’re serious aren’t you,” He asked, eyes wide, showcasing fear, but also… hope? “We must get you to the city immediately. If you wouldn’t mind Ma’am,” he asked with a bow. Lumine furrowed her brow but nodded.
“I ran into Paimon yesterday and she offered to lead me to the city. Mondstadt was it?” Lumine questioned, glancing back towards her companion who gave an enthusiastic nod. The Knight gave a relieved smile.
“It would be an honor to escort you to the city if you would have me.” The Knight bowed once again and held out a hand. Lumine shot Paimon a confused glance before looking back to the Knight.
“Ah- pardon me, but what is your name?” Lumine asked gently, eyeing the man's hand speculatively.
“Pardon my rudeness, the names Lawrence, m’lady.” Lumine cleared her throat, shaking her head ever so slightly.
“No need to be so formal Lawrence. My name is Lumine, and this is Paimon. It would be lovely to have you escort us to the city, but there is really no need. Especially if you were sent out here with an assigned quest; we wouldn’t want you to get in trouble because of us.” Lawrence’s cheeks turned a pale red as he broke eye contact with Lumine.
“I think there are some things that ought to be explained by someone higher up than I; they are of the greatest importance. I will lead you to the city immediately.”
“Paimon… isn’t entirely sure what is happening… but anything if Paimon doesn’t get eaten by hilichurls!” Lumine giggled but nodded and took Lawrence’s hand. The man turned a bright red before immediately releasing her hand and whirling around.
“Right! I’ll give you a moment to gather your things and then we best be on our way!” Lumine and Paimon watched as he took a handful of steps out of their clearing, just barely visible beyond the full brush and low hanging trees.
“Paimon… I’m confused as to what's happening... Are all who inhabit this land so formal upon introduction? Is it custom to search a person's belongings before greeting them?” Paimon let out a small laugh and scratched her head awkwardly.
“Paimon knows that last bit is definitely not a custom… as for formalities, well it depends. Paimon has only seen anyone be this formal with the different rulers of each city. It’s kind of weird… but Paimon has been lost in the woods for a couple of weeks! Things could’ve changed!” Lumine hummed, though she didn’t think that was quite true. She quickly gathered her things and stepped out of the clearing, giving Lawrence a wide smile and a nod to confirm she was ready.
The man blushed once again before beginning a steady pace down the worn path. They weren’t walking long before they stood at a cliff's edge, overlooking a beautiful lake with a small island in the center. Standing prominently in the center of the lake stood a beautiful statue.
Lumine couldn’t help but gasp at the beauty of the land. Mountainous peaks enclosed the small lake, turning the whole area to a valley that led out to a much larger lake, once again with a large island in the center of it; and though it seemed that there was a statue on that island, it looked like the island was mostly inhabited by a city. The land leading up to the lake was jagged but had expertly carved paths leading towards its center.
“This is Starfell Lake, and off in the distance, you can see Mondstadt! Paimon thinks this is the prettiest view in all of Teyvet! Oh and down there is one of the statues of the seven. It’s for worshipping the Anemo God, Barbatos! These statues are scattered throughout Mondstadt as a sort of waypoint so travelers don’t get lost!”
“Yes, Barbatos is the god who helped our people enjoy the free and unchained life they have now. I often come to give thanks to this statue or the one near Springvale. We’ll pass through Starfell valley fairly quickly as I’ve already taken out most of the hilichurl camps on my way here. We should arrive in the city of freedom before nightfall.” Lumine nodded, dazed by how quickly things were changing all of a sudden.
“Ah, would you mind terribly if we stopped at the statue? I would love to share my thanks to the God of freedom as well. I may not be from this land or even this world but there’s no doubt that whoever made this beauty free deserves my greatest respects.” Lawrence stared at Lumine for a moment, and the traveler almost swore he saw stars glistening in his eyes.
“It would be no problem to visit the statue,” Lawrence offered in one breathless sentence. Lumine nodded her thanks, taking in the grand view once more before following Lawrence and Paimon down the trail. She and Paimon plucked quickly at the flowers and mushrooms they passed; Lumine’s floating companion already used to her constant need to gather.
When their toes edged Starfell Lake the group stopped, each taking a moment to gaze up at the now towering statue. Lumine stepped forward first, so entranced by the beautiful statue that she didn’t acknowledge the water sinking into her shoes. A light blue glow surrounded the statue, and Lumine moved towards it, almost entranced by its beauty. Without thought the traveler reached forward and placed her hand on the gold plating of the statue, pulling back in shock when a forceful breeze blew through the valley.
Lumine watched with wide eyes as the faint blue glow became brighter before traveling in currents towards the top of the statue, stopping only once it reached the small globe that rested in the outstretched hands on the statue. As suddenly as the glow had appeared, it shot out of the ball, encasing Lumine in its dazzling color, swirling around her like a wind current before dispersing into the air. She could feel a new buzz of energy humming in her skin, just waiting for her prompting before it exploded from her body.
The traveler turned with wide eyes towards her apparent audience, who looked back at her with equally wide eyes.
“It must be true…” Lawrence muttered quietly, unheard by Lumine or Paimon.
“Wow! The people of Teyvat would kill to be blessed by the gods like that! Paimon thinks the god of freedom is smiling down on you!” Paimon cheered as she flew closer.
“I can feel the wind flowing through me…” Lumine muttered quietly, glancing back down at her hands. Lumine suddenly knew that with a little bit of concentration she could summon winds far more powerful than a simple gust. With furrowed brows, she turned to the statue only for a gust of wind to playfully run past her face and through her hair. She could almost feel the relief the heavenly wind carried.
“Lumine!” Paimon shouted, pulling the traveler out of her daze.
“Lawrence says we need to get to the city before nightfall! Paimon thinks there's a storm coming as well,” the floating girl said with a nod in the direction in the mountains to the west. For the first time, Lumine noticed the growing storm clouds, growing darker by the second and seemingly heading their way. Lumine nodded and stepped away from the statue following quickly after Lawrence.
Their journey past Starfell lake no longer felt wondrous, but rather harried as they rushed past every sight and snuck through a handful of hilichurl camps. Despite being unable to stop and enjoy the sights around them Lumine couldn’t help but stare at the city of Mondstadt as it grew bigger and bigger with every step. She figured she was viewing the world from a new perspective; used to seeing the world from a higher point of view, but nothing would’ve prepared her for how big the world seemed from here.
Every time Lumine or Paimon attempted to stop a large gust of wind seemed to come from nowhere, urging them towards the city. Lawrence couldn’t hide his smile as they shrieked, the wind startling them most of the time.
With the bridge into the city in their sights, they were stopped suddenly by the appearance of a girl dressed in all red. Upon seeing her Lawrence had them stop and excused himself to talk to the girl. Lumine attempted not to eavesdrop, though Paimon had no such reservations, her attempt was futile as the girl began to shout her replies while looking wildly between Lawrence and Lumine.
“YOU THINK SHE’S THE ONE?!?!” the girl shouted loudly while Lawrence tried to shush her, to no avail.
“SHE TOUCHED THE ANEMO STAT-” her shouts were then cut off by Lawrence slapping a hand over her mouth with an irritated glare. He shot Lumine an apologetic glance before turning back to scold the girl. A moment later he was done and the girl was pouting stubbornly at his back.
“Sorry about that. This is Amber, she’s one of Mondstadt’s outriders, always keeping those outside of the city safe and keeping an eye on things. She reports directly to the Acting Grand Master, so I’m going to let her lead you to Jean. I’ll be stationed at the city gates, should you need anything, and once again, thank you,” Lawrence said with a bright smile.
“Ah, what exactly are you thanking me for again?” Lumine asked, still more than confused.
“I have a feeling you’ll do great things in this world,” he said cryptically before bowing sharply and rushing towards the city. Lumine and Paimon watched him go with a confused look before Amber stepped into their field of view.
“Hiya! I’m Amber and it is an absolute pleasure to meet you! You could not have arrived at a better time! Things have been pretty chaotic up until recently, though I have a feeling things are going to get a lot worse with you around!” Amber said cheerfully, bouncing on her toes as she spoke. Lumine frowned at her words, confused by the seemingly rude meaning.
“Paimon doesn’t think that came out how you meant it to…”
Amber paused her continuous movement, seemingly thinking about her words before letting out a sharp gasp.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t- you know! I just, you’re so much prettier than I expected and I always get so flustered around pretty people… but you’re like… like a god! Except higher than that and I just- I’m so sorry!” Amber said in a jumble of words, her cheeks turning redder and redder with every word. Lumine’s own cheeks turned crimson and at the compliment, unable to follow the rest of Amber’s thoughts.
“Ah, well you’re beautiful too Amber, so there’s no need to be nervous,” Lumine said quietly. Next to her Paimon slapped her own face as she watched Amber’s entire face turn as red as her outfit.
“Paimon thinks we’re all beautiful and should get moving before that storm hits us, or night falls and we get eaten by hilichurl.” Amber shook her head, the blush fading only slightly.
“Right! I’ll take you to Jean right away! And she can help you get settled in the city!”
In a flash of warm pyro energy Amber had dashed towards and across the bridge; disrupting a flock of pigeons and a small boy who was feeding them. The boy let out a furious yell directed at Amber, glaring at Lumine and Paimon as they followed her across the bridge. Lumine noticed Lawrence and another knight at the gate sending them both a bright smile and nod as she took in the sight of the city’s entrance. Paimon watched as the unknown knight blushed furiously, stars in his eyes at the sight of Lumine.
Despite the incoming storm, the city was still lively, handfuls of people wandering from shop to shop, decorating the city, or chatting in the plaza. The buildings were built cozily next to each other giving the town a homey vibe. A woman stood outside her shop, sending Lumine a small smile and wave as they passed into the city. Another woman in a stand waved to Amber before turning curious watchful eyes on Lumine.
“That’s Katheryne! She runs the Adventurers Guild! We’ll have to take you by later to talk to her!” Amber shouted as she ran ahead, waving her arm for Lumine to follow quickly. Lumine hurried after her, taking the city in as best as she could while running. If she had been aware of the great expanse beyond the little cove she’d found herself in the past few months, she surely would’ve fought harder to get out. But she pushed those thoughts from her mind as Amber led her to a large building, saluting the soldiers standing at the doors.
“The is the headquarters! Jean’s office is right this way, and she’s been expecting us so we don’t even have to wait! Which... is pretty rare because Jeans always busy… Anyways, I get to go watch over Klee while you chat with her, so have some fun for me!” With another brilliant smile in Lumines direction, she was off with another burst of speed, disappearing into a different room.
“Wow, Paimon thinks she should have wind powers with how fast she is! Let’s go meet the Acting Grandmaster! It seems like that’s a really big title here!” Paimon shouted cheerfully while Lumine shot her a confused look.
“Aren’t you from here? Shouldn’t you know whether or not that's an important title?”
“Mmmm Paimon is technically from around here… butttt Paimon focuses on the well… tastier aspect of things… Good Hunter down in the center of the city has some of the tastiest Fisherman’s Toast Paimon has ever tried!” Lumine shook her head with a laugh before landing a timid knock on the door Amber had pointed her to.
A handful of voices sounded at her knock, or maybe they’d been there all along and only just become loud enough for Lumine’s ears to pick up, but either way, it sounded like shouting. She backed away from the door slightly and pushed Paimon behind her.
“There’s no way this would all be some elaborate trap… right?” she asked Paimon quietly. Before the floating girl could get a response out the door swung open, two tall figures filling the doorway.
One with dark blue hair and an eye patch was staring down at Lumine as if she were a snack to be eaten. The other, a slightly taller man with bright red hair looked as if he was waffling between smacking the man next to him or greeting Lumine cordially. They both managed to make eye contact for a single moment and Lumine swore a literal fire was about to start; they both opened their mouths to speak, but before either of them could get a word in, they were pulled back from the door. Without their bulky and slim bodies, Lumine had a clear sight of a tall blond woman who looked somewhat irked with the two men.
“Apologies, Ma’am, for those two. I’m the Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt; Jean Gunnhilder. Welcome to the City of Freedom,” the blond woman said with a bow. “We’ve been expecting your arrival for quite some time.”