Chapter Text
"Paimon's hungry, and Paimon cannot wait to get back Wanmin Restaurant for Xiangling's tasty food!"
Lumine drags her feet as they walk along. Dragging her sword through the dirt, dulling the blade. Her bones ache and her clothes stick to her uncomfortably, wet and bloodied. Exhaustion presents itself in her gait and she staggers as she feels its grip sinking her deeper and deeper. Her fight against the Oceanid had been a tough one. Tougher due to her feeling distracted during the fight. Hardly feeling present as Paimon whirled around her in a frenzy yelling encouragement. The being had kept spawning the raptor mimics and Lumine had to block their relentless attacks with her sword, lashing out with her electro attacks periodically. Though the mimics had managed to get many hits in this time and the length and the intensity of the battle definitely got to Lumine.
Her cuts sting and her stomach growls as the two make their way into Liyue Harbour, making their way up to Wanmin Restaurant. Nobody spares a second glance at the bloodied traveler, it's normal to see her returning from tougher and tougher missions every day, more and more bloodied than the last. Lumine runs her fingers through her knotted hair as they take a seat just outside the restaurant, tugging to remove the more difficult knots that had formed. Paimon hovers over her shoulder with their arms on their hips smugly.
"See! We did it, we're super powerful now with your electro powers aren't we Traveler?"
Lumine musters everything within her to return Paimon's comment with a shaky smile. But the exhaustion in her eyes must have been evident.
"Here, Paimon will order us some tasty food and you will feel much better!"
The floating fairy sends her a not-so-subtle worried look and hurries off to the counter to order. Lumine leans her elbows on the table and sighs, rubbing the palms of her hands over her eyes, hoping somehow if she rubs hard enough, she could rub away the dark marks that had formed there.
The two share a pleasant meal together. However the atmospheric lights and soft chatter of the other patrons send Lumine into a sleepy drol, her head drooping, body threatening to collapse at any second. Paimon notices this and nudges Lumine, pushing her back up to a seated position.
"Come on, traveler! Let's get you back to Wangshu Inn."
-
Lumine still hasn't gotten used to the feeling of teleporting. She has traveled to many different worlds facing challenge after challenge, but the light and nauseating feeling of teleporting is one of the worst things she'd ever willingly decided to do to herself on a regular basis. The wangshu inn is a nice one, a large tree located in dihua marsh,its boughs large enough to hold up the inn built deep within the leaves and the teleport waypoint in a convenient place, only a small walk away from their room. Speaking of their room, they stammer into it, locking the door behind them. Paimon collapses into their own bed. Why did they need a double one? Lumine never knew. And Lumine collapses into her own, not caring about the nasty stains she just transferred from her to the sheets. She pulls the blanket over herself haphazardly and sinks into her deepest sleep in a while.
-
Creatures howl in agony as her blade sinks sickenly into flesh after flesh. Thick blood coats her skin in a thick pungent sludge, sinking into her skin and staining her clothes. Aether cackles as he points his sword at her, grin growing as wide as her eyes.
"Don't you see it, Lumine? This is how we all end up! Godless husks, stricken of hope!"
Lumine's slashes become more desperate as piles of beasts descend on her-her attacks more out of necessity of survival rather than for killing.
She howls as a beast's jaws sink into the flesh of her calf, refusing to let go and threatening to rip away the flesh from the bone. The creature sets herself off balance as she tries desperately to remove it from her. Favouring her injured leg heavily, she pokes at the approaching beasts desperately with her sword. In her frenzy another creature latches onto her and one by one she is covered in snarling snapping creatures.
-
Lumine jars awake, sitting up with a gasp. Moon filters its way through the curtains and highlights her bed in an iridescent glow. Paimon snores away in their own bed unknowingly, blankets completely covering their small form. Lumine lifts her own blanket up and swings her legs to the floor. She tests her weight on the floorboards, satisfied when they make no sound. She proceeds outside where she goes to lean on the balcony edge, looking over the plains. The land is still darkened by the late hours of night but she can see campfires flickering in the far distance, no doubt hillichurl and treasure hoarder camps. Her head pounds at the thought of her commissions she will have to do in only a few hours. Her wounds still hurt from her previous battle. Her eyes blur and threaten to close so she shifts herself to stay awake. That was the first time she had seen Aether in a dream since their encounter in the ruins, and the implications of it makes her shudder in fear and she can't help but wonder, has Aether turned against her?
Soft footsteps sound behind her, she perks up. They were so quiet that even Lumine was surprised she even heard them. But when she turns around she knows that it was the person’s intentions. Xiao makes his way up to the edge next to her, leaning his body against the railing in the same way as her. They sit in silence for a minute. Fireflies dance amongst the empty tables and chairs below the inn and lumine almost loses herself in thought once more.
‘’You cannot sleep?’’
Xiao asks this in a way that it is more than a simple question, enticing her to say more. Lumine stays silent, perfectly content to let her emotions stir inside her dangerously.
‘’No matter.’’ Xiao stands up straight, tugging one side of his hair behind his ear. ‘’I don’t concern myself with human emotions.’’
Lumine perks up at that. ‘’Wait, I think you may be able to help me- its, sort of your specialty.’’
Xiao takes his chance to lean up against the railing again, looking out into the plains instead of at her.
‘’What does somebody who has turned to darkness look like?’’
Xiao’s eyes narrow at Lumine’s question. ‘’Why do you ask that, have you felt darkness’ unwavering temptation?’’
‘’N-No not quite.’’ Lumine sighs and rubs her palms across the dark rings under her eyes, no doubt forming a habit. ‘’It’s about my brother.’’
‘’Your brother, have you found him?’’
‘’No-well yes, but it’s not that simple..’’
Xiao’s eyes close for a prolonged moment before they open once more. His gaze now trained on Lumine. There is trouble behind the eyes, Lumine can see the years of pain from his past reflecting itself in them. No doubt reawakened by her question.
‘’Why do you ask that, Lumine? About the darkness.’’
‘’I’m afraid Aether has been tainted by it, he’s changed, he’s different from when the last time we were together’’
Xiao rubs his forehead with his arm and sighs, frustration eminent within it. He speaks, more to himself than to Lumine.
‘’More and more everyday, I will never have a chance to rest.’’
Lumine continues, a tremor in her voice. She isn’t quite sure how much she should share. The adeptus was quite unpredictable and the reaction he will have could be anything. He could blow up in a flurry, determined to take down the evil within the abyss, he could say something she is not ready to hear. Deciding to go with the basics, she omits the events that occurred between her and Dainsleif entirely.
‘’He’s sided with the Abyss. No, not sided, he's some kind of leader. They call him the ‘Abyss Prince’. He’s sided with evil, Xiao.’’
The man looks to her for a moment and to the stars after, clearly prompting for her to continue.
‘’He’s different now, Aether has never changed before. I worry for our futures’’
They sit in silence again, this one lasts longer than the last as their conversation digests in each of their minds.
‘’You know your brother well don’t you? Do you believe he could truly be evil?’’
Lumine’s breath hitches and she looks to her chest, embarrassed. What was she thinking? Aether must have a reason for what he is doing, there was never a moment in their lives where he had done something without a purpose. But these thoughts alone are not enough to push down her lingering worry.
‘’No, I don’t think so. We have traveled together for a very long time and never has he been anything like this.’’
Xiao stands up, smoothing down his clothes. Lumine takes this as an opportunity to get a closer look at the trinkets he’d adorned himself with. He had once told her of the ritualistic purposes of each one in a previous meeting. While in her reminiscence, Xiao speaks again.
‘’A person whose views are not the same as yours is not necessarily evil. Is there anything else that makes you think so?’’
‘’I guess not, sorry.’’
Xiao turns his head to glance back towards the inside. Lanterns glow dimly casting a golden glow upon the two as the fires inside them fight to stay alive.
‘’You should go back to sleep.’’
He leaves with no other word or even a second glance.
Lumine remains there for longer, regardless of Xiao’s suggestion. Her mind buzzing loudly with contradictory thoughts that if she tried to sleep she knew she’d lay awake for hours. Nonetheless, the air is much clearer outside than in the room, so Lumine stays, leaning against the railing, wind tossing her blonde hair gently.