Chapter Text
—Aether—
“Your commissions are here, and here, and here, and here.” Kathryne marked out the points across my map. “You will need to talk to Verr Goldet, take out two hilichurl camps, and deal with a camp of treasure hoarders.” She smiled.
“Thank you Kathryne, helpful as always.” I turned and began to walk away. Letting the familiar streets of Liyue harbor surround me. It was always my favorite place. I wanted to stop by for a while before heading off to Sumeru, to let myself heal after the fight with the Shogun.
The smell of seawater, and food filled the air. People, smiling and waving at me. Naturally I smiled back. Paimon joined me from wherever she ran off to.
“So, what are we planning on doing today?” She circled me staring with her starry eyes.
“Our commissions.” I think I was getting better at Teyvat, but I still enjoyed speaking my home language with Paimon. However she learned it. It was still nice.
“Ok, and where are they? More importantly, can Paimon get some delicious food there?”
“Not likely, it’s mainly fighting off some camps. Oh and Verr Goldet needs something from us.”
“Huh… that doesn’t happen often.”
“Yeah” I approached the teleport waypoint. “Guess it’s something important.” I extended my arm touching the cold blue metal. “Ready Paimon?”
“Yup!” She grinned. “Lead the way Traveler!” I reached out towards the ancient device. The blue light engulfed my senses, shutting my eyes out of reflex and my ears began to ring. I inhaled and exhaled, gathering up my thoughts. I pictured the mountainside of the cliff by the hilichurl camp. The harshness that awaited me on the other side of my eyelids began to fade. I felt myself exhale. The rocky mountains of Liyue towered above head.
“Alright Paimon it’s a little ways away but a walk never did any harm. Or float in your case.” I smiled at Paimon who turned away from me.
“Hmmmph. Paimon does enough exercise, thank you very much!” Her comment made me giggle slightly. I kicked around a rock at my feet. Sounds of birds singing would come into range every now and then. Paimon got infatuated with any and everything that she found somewhat interesting. The mountainside dotted with violet grass to my left. It’s Xinyans favorite flower. I should probably pluck some for her. I thought. I went over to grab some. Around three seemed adequate. So that’s how many I grabbed. There was a large tree which grew out of the side of the mountain a ways up, it casted a large canopy of shade, a lovely refuge from the beating sun of midday. I continued walking. Paimon was busy with a large rock. I let her finish admiring it before calling her to continue with our short walk to the camp.
I could hear the babbling of hilichurls in the background. I was getting close. I drew out my sword and exhaled. I’m plenty used to this by now. Then why did I have the feeling something was amiss? I felt stronger after having resonated with electro. I was stronger. Right?
“Be wary Paimon.” I put my arm out. “Something’s not right.” I snuck up behind one of their towers only to find a pyro abyss mage. There. “Stay here,” I whispered. Paimon whimpered and put her hands to her face.
“Be careful Traveler.” She leaned up against me.
“Always.” I cast out a beam of electro towards the abyss mage. “Hey!” I shouted in Teyvat. I began to use electro to wear down the shield of the abyss mage. It’s fire re-burning old scars. I hissed. The hilichurls began to direct their attention at me. Surrounding me. I let out a burst of electro, surrounding me in purple lightning. I shouted. Letting all of my elemental energy go into this strike. Paimon quickly floated up once the electro resonance had dissipated enough to be safe for her.
“TRAVELER!” She screamed at me. Paimon always kept an eye on me. She could probably tell that it took a lot out of me. “Left!” I slashed my blade sloppily at the abyss mage, the hilichurls all defeated by now.
I gasped for air once the mage crumbled and as did I.
“Traveler, what happened?” Paimon floated next to me.
“I would assume the after-effects of my battles with the Shogun.” I said combing the loose strands of my hair back. “My dealings using electro still haven’t felt the same. It’s like she did something to me.”
“Paimon thinks that is very obvious.” I chuckled.
“I suppose.” Paimon leaned herself against my head. “Mind if we just sit here by the fire for a little while?” I sighed, Paimon shook her head. We enjoyed the scenery. I began to cook a small meal for two using the materials on hand.
“We better get a decent reward for this one. I forgot how strong the Liuye hilichurls were.” I sighed, handing Paimon a chicken mushroom skewer. She began to gnaw on it.
“Yes.” She blurted in between bites.
“That good huh?”
“Mmmmhmmm.” She continued ravenously eating the hot food. I clutched my side while standing.
“Once you are done we should start heading over to the rest of our stops.” I told Paimon.
“Paimon would think so.” She spoke mid-chew.
“Then shall we?” I motioned for Paimon to lead the way.
“Just one second, Paimon has eaten WAY too much.” She grabbed her tummy and did a small flip in mid-air.
“Heh,” I sighed. “You really are an amazing travel companion Paimon.” I felt my stomach churn at the sentence.
“She will never be as good as her. Never.” A voice whispered within my head. I tried to stop thinking of her. But no matter what I do. She can never leave me alone. She may not be the subject of my thoughts. But that doesn’t mean the thought of her isn’t always there, lurking, deep within the confines of my mind.
“Alright, Paimon’s good now.” Paimon’s voice knocked me out of my thoughts. “Come on Traveler! We have a-many commissions to get to!”
“Indeed. We do Paimon.” I inhaled deeply. “Indeed we do.”
“What next, another hilichurl camp? Treasure hoarders?” Paimon balled up her fists punching air. “Paimons ready for anything.”
“I was thinking Wangshu Inn, I may not have done much. But I am still quite tired and need to get my energy back up before I can Teleport again. It would be a nice break, besides it’s not too far from here.”
—Xiao—
I sat atop the roof of Wangshu Inn. Soaking in the view of the sun casting its rays upon all of the plains surrounding me. I grasp my spear tightly, seeing a figure in the distance. I couldn’t tell who it was from where I sat. I had made a deal with the people of this inn, and that was I was able to come and go as I pleased. But when I was here, I would protect the inn and its occupants. I slid down to the balcony, where I saw the Traveler speaking with Verr Goldet. He laughed, making his golden hair bounce ever so slightly, he put a single hand to his face. As if to cover up a beautiful smile of his. Paimon, Traveler's floating child-like companion, floated circles around him. He turned to head towards the kitchen. I quickly hid behind the wall nearby.
I saw a bird fly closer to me, it began to sing its song. Circling me, causing leaves that have fallen to fly up. I reached out towards the bird, but it recoiled at my touch. As if it had a bad memory associated with me. I clenched my fist. Naturally no living thing would willingly choose to be near me. My karma would be too great for them, I am too much of an Adeptus to fit in with humans, and too human to fit in with the rest of the adepti. Now that I have lost those similar to me, I am cursed to wander Teyvat for eternity, alone.
I climbed back onto the roof, wrapping my arm around the spire in the center. I rubbed my eyes. When I heard a whistle and soft voices I began slinking my way down, silently planting my feet on the wooden floor. I already knew who it was. But I wanted to know what was up with the traveler. I saw him leap from the balcony, swiftly activating his wind glider, and began to fly northeast. I leapt from treetop to treetop. Being sure to stay out of sight. I didn’t want to alert him, just figure out what he was up to.
He folded in his wind glider and landed not too far ahead of me. So from the treetop I watched him turn to his floating companion. He began to talk in what sounded like tongues with her. But she responded in Teyvat.
“Paimon agrees, there really doesn’t seem to be anything near here. Maybe it was some hilichurls? You said they seemed to be- Oh Paimon forgot the word.” She groaned, pounding her fists into her temple. “Yes! No-mad-ic.” Paimon sounded out the syllables of the word in this foreign language. I furrowed my brow, this was new. Did the Traveler pick this up during his travels? It didn’t sound anything like I’ve heard of before.
I hopped onto a different tree. The traveler whipped his head around in my direction. “Noise,” he murmured to Paimon who quickly balled her fists. I was able to hear the whirring of some Ruin Hunter. I knew the traveler could handle it but I just wanted to make sure. So I waited, out of sight.
“I thought no more fighting.” The traveler sighed. He drew out his sword. Swept his foot, creating a small wall of geo around him. He swiftly lept around, like a rabbit. Jutting his sword in all the right places. Using anemo to draw the Ruin Hunters attention away from himself. His attacks were graceful, beautiful. He then stabbed his sword into its eye, paralyzing it and finished him off with one final blow of electro. He winced at that action and turned to Paimon. Then he fell.
Paimon rushed to his side, shaking him in a futile attempt to wake the Traveler. “Not again, not again.” She whined. If this had happened before something was very wrong with the Traveler. It was the right thing to do to help. I almost never did the right thing. But for some odd reason I felt that this was something that I truly needed to do.
I leapt down from my high up hiding place. Paimon turned her gaze to focus on me with wide star filled eyes.
“Xiao!” She wailed. Hands clasped around my arm. “Please help, I don’t know what happened to him. Fix my friend, please.” Her eyes began to water. She buried her face in my arm. I could feel the cold droplets of her tears. I froze. I was shit at comfort. That I knew. I touched the back of her head and began running it through her smooth hair. “Please.” Her weeping became quieter gradually.
“Shhh, it’s going to be alright. Don’t worry, I’ll help him.” Paimon looked up at me, puffy eyed. She sniffed. “Can you help me, or do you need to sit for a bit? I would let you stay hooked around my arm, but I need it.” I twisted the ends of my mouth, I wouldn’t call it a smile, but it somewhat looked like one.
“Th-thank you.” She sat down on a nearby rock. Staring intently at both me and the Traveler.
I stood over the unconscious body which laid on the grass. I grabbed his legs and lifted them up. I heard that this was good for fainting. When Traveler didn’t wake up, I huffed and leaned down. I placed two fingers on his neck. Thump. Thump. Thump. He was alive, I knew that much.
I interlaced my fingers, took a deep breath, and placed my hands on the Travelers chest. ‘One, two, three’ I counted. Paimon floated up behind me. I could hear her shallow breathing. ‘fifteen, sixteen, seventeen’ I was halfway there. My hands were getting sore. But I had to press on.
‘Twenty one, twenty two-‘
Then he gasped for air.