Chapter Text
It was all a blur. Diluc and Kaeya’s distraction. Cyno’s ritual. Amber’s excitement. Then that so-called “seer” Barnabas barged in at Starsnatch Cliff. Collei was freezing, but Amber was quick to jump to her aid. Even when he turned into that... beast, she still wouldn’t back down. She inspired her. She defeated him. Kaeya and Diluc arrived with some knights but Kaeya... trapped Diluc? He was turned over to the Fatui but everything turned out okay, somehow. She left Mondstadt so quickly with the scholar - Cyno was his name. She didn’t even get to say goodbye to Amber, although Lisa helped her write a letter. The world was scary, but Cyno was here to protect her! It was still hard for her to let her guard down but she felt safe under his watch. Amber inspired her to learn about the world and hope that maybe she could become as strong as her someday!
Along with Cyno she started the trek to Sumeru. Quickly she discovered that the world was beautiful if you stopped and looked around, and was so much less scary when you weren’t on the run from an evil organization - or yourself. They walked past the beautiful sights of the Dawn Winery, past the Stone Gate into Liyue, and finally into Dihua Marsh to arrive at Wangshu Inn to have dinner and stay the night. Collei had never had food like this. It tasted... amazing! It was warm as it went down her throat and - it was spicy. Very spicy. ‘Raised’ as she was, she had never consumed proper spices - much less the chilis in the inn’s signature Jueyun Chili Chicken. Cyno laughed at her, and she laughed back, this was... fun! Collei knew now that she loved having friends.
A thankfully uneventful night brought Collei her first good night’s sleep in as long as she could remember, and at dawn, her and Cyno began back on their journey. They continued on through the Guili Plains, there were monsters patrolling but Cyno kept her safe on the path, and if any of the hilichurls came too close to them he dispatched them swiftly. As the final hill of the plains crested, it opened to a breathtaking view of Teyvat’s largest trade port, Liyue Harbor. Bustling docks, busy marketplaces, and serene mountains lining the skyline, along with a floating mansion that Cyno told her was the Jade Chamber, owned by a member of the Liyue Qixing.
Collei seemed excited, but also the scale of the harbor scared her. She cowered close to Cyno’s side, yet she nudged him forward, prompting him to lead her into the harbor. They looked around the shops and at all of the toys and gadgets and cultural clothing that she had never seen before. After an hour of running around exploring the harbor, Cyno brought her to Wanmin Restaurant for lunch. Manning the kitchen was the one and only world-famous Xiangling, even those from Sumeru knew of her culinary prowess. When it was their turn in line, she jumped to ask them what they wanted.
Cyno answered first, saying “Chef’s choice, give us whatever you want!” He was ready to explore whatever she gave him, he wouldn’t pass this opportunity up.
Before Xiangling could turn around, Collei sputtered enough to catch her attention, before muttering “Something... not spicy please.” Cyno cracked up, seeing as this was clearly the result of his prank the night before. Xiangling nodded, a flame in her eyes lighting up with excitement to fulfill their challenge.
“Guoba! Let’s do this!” Xiangling yelled as she and her little companion got to work cooking their meal - with lightning quick hands she started cooking rice and vegetables, and preparing some berries with an interesting addition of lotus heads. Despite the strange combination, Cyno knew her reputation preceded her, and trusted her process. After several minutes she turned around with a beautiful arrangement, an almost cake-like dome of rice accented with carrots and berries. “One universal peace, coming right up! Nothin’ spicy here, I hope you love it!”
Cyno took the plate and led Collei to the nearby table. Wary of the food because of the surprise she had last night, Collei poked at the rice, before nibbling at the spoon. Her eyes widened and looked like they might pop out of her head, before starting to devour the dish. “Leave some for me,” Cyno giggled, in truth simply happy that she was enjoying food and being happy after what she’s been put through.
Cyno took a glance to the sun, which was not quite above them in the sky yet. “Roughly 11am. If we head out now, we can make it to the chasm while it’s still light out, and arrive in Gandharva Ville by dusk. I have some food to snack on to tide you over, we can have a late dinner when we arrive if that’s alright with you.”
“That sounds like a good plan. Let’s get going. Will we meet Mr. Tighnari tonight?”
“We may, there’s always a chance he is out on business in the forest, but he should be home.”
They journeyed through the mountains and plains of Liyue, wrapping around Mount Tianheng and eventually crossing the bridge between Lingju Pass and Qingxu Pools, both breathtaking sights to be seen from afar. Collei was so awestruck that Cyno practically had to drag her by the sleeve to keep her on the path as she was admiring the world she had never gotten to look so freely at.
As the pair approached the Chasm, Cyno turned to Collei to warn her of the potential dangers ahead. “So far we have only come across hilichurls who have gotten in our way, but ahead we may see treasure hoarders, and if we’re unlucky we may encounter ruin machines. If you see treasure hoarders, continue on like you do not see them. If they bother us, step behind me and I will handle the matter. On the other hand, if we see a ruin machine, we will run. Even I am unlikely to be able to take one on my own, especially if I’m worried about protecting you. Got it?”
Collei nervously nodded. Noticing the fear that crept up on her, Cyno reached a hand out and ruffled her hair, an assuring smile crossing his face. “Hey, we’ll be safe, I promise.”
She flinched when he reached his hand out, but allowed him to continue. In response he got a much more confident nod out of her, albeit still worried.
The two set off, passing through the Millelith outpost that marked the crest into the Chasm. As they descended further through into the chasm, it became clear that this was not a path built to accommodate the general public. Dusty, rough paths and rickety wooden bridges were rough to traverse but nothing they couldn’t handle.
Small encampments of Liyuean miners passed by with friendly waves. Some small gangs of treasure hoarders looked the pair down but seemingly backed down when they recognized the escort was Cyno.
The rest of the journey through the chasm was uneventful. Some uneven terrain along the winding paths, but no interference from the hoarders or monsters. They reached a mineshaft-looking passageway through the mountainous wall that made up the other side of the chasm. As they traversed through the passage, the rock and stone slowly faded into greenery, and as it opened into the gradually reddening light, Collei realized that what remained of daylight was leaking through a beautiful canopy of jungle trees. As she looked up and took in the scenery of branches, vines and flowers, she also began to notice pathways strung among the trees. People were living here, immersed with nature!
“Welcome to the Avidya Forest, home of the Forest Rangers.” He followed her sightline up to the civilization in the trees, then remarked, “And that’s Gandharva Ville. That’s where you’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.”
Collei was visibly excited by the prospect of living in the trees, as she was practically bouncing in her step as they climbed the paths. The sun was starting to disappear behind the vast forest, and the lamps around the village lit up in response. Walking through the winding bridges, all of the people they encountered greeted Cyno, welcoming him back.
“Do you come here often?” Collei asked as they climbed, “Everyone seems to know you.”
“I do, between my work sometimes requiring my attention here and visiting Tighnari when I get the chance, I’ve become a regular.”
“That makes sense. Maybe I’ll get to know people soon.”
“You should in due time.” Cyno assured her as they approached what seemed to be the highest building in the village. “This is where you’ll be staying. At the moment it has some of Tighnari’s tools and specimens out, be careful around them, but feel free to make yourself at home.
Collei’s stomach growled. In her excitement looking at the scenery across Liyue and in the forest, she had completely forgotten about the snacks that he had offered her. A new voice came from behind her, making collei jump and cower towards Cyno.
“Have you not fed her, Cyno? I thought you’d be better than forgetting such a necessity.” as Collei looked him up and down, he seemed to be a friend. Intricately patterned but practical clothing, boots that looked perfect for protecting you from the elements in a forest and its wet ground, and a bow slung over his shoulder as if he had just returned from hunting. He also had large black ears and a fluffy tail, and a smile brighter than the lamps lighting the town.
“I have fed her Nari. I didn’t think she was hungry yet. I offered snacks on the road, I didn’t want to stop so that we could get back to the village by nightfall.”
The new figure walked over and flicked Cyno’s forehead, saying “I know, don’t worry about it. I’ll feed her.” He then turned his attention to the girl. He offered his hand out for a handshake, to which collei slightly flinched. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m Tighnari, Chief Officer of the Forest Rangers. I’ll be taking care of you for as long as you live here.”
“Hello Mr. Tighnari.” She met his handshake, his grip gentle but firm. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for being willing to help me.”
“Of course, and no need to be so formal. At least for now, just call me Tighnari. Do you want some food?” Collei nodded quickly at the notion, and he followed up “Do you like mushrooms?”
Collei thought for a moment, then concluded that she had never had them before. “I’m not sure. I- I can try them!”
“Wonderful, I’ll cook you up my favorite dish then. If you don’t end up liking it, I can make you something else quick. Follow me, both of you.”
He led them down to a platform that must have been his abode, which had a stone structure with wood inside of it. This must be how they cook their food, it makes sense that they wouldn’t want to start open fires here.
She watched as Tighnari quickly got to work, cutting up pieces of three different unfamiliar kinds of mushrooms and frying them in a pan. He didn’t season them or add anything else, these mushrooms must be good on their own.
“I picked these all just today, they’re very fresh. Not all mushrooms are edible but I made sure to get ones that are safe to eat and tasty.” He scooped the mushrooms onto three plate-like leaves and placed them around the table nearby. “Well, give it a shot.”
Collei poked at the mushrooms for a moment, deciding where to start. When she found a satisfactory cluster of the mushrooms she took a bite out of them, and a rush of contrastic flavors filled her mouth. Filled with the same vigor as she had been at Wanmin earlier, she devoured the rest of the dish before Cyno and Tighnari had even taken a dent out of theirs. She was discovering new flavors and tastes, food that was really good for the first time in her life. “Thank you!” she said as the men giggled, both glad that she was happy and eating well.
By the time they had all finished, Collei was starting to doze off. Collei and Tighnari cleaned up their eating space and made sure the kitchen was tidy, before looking over at the young girl they had taken in.
Cyno broke the silence by assuring him, “She’s been through a lot, but I think she’ll turn out just fine.” He wrapped his arm around Tighnari, who leaned his head onto his shoulder. “I know we just agreed to take care of her and find her a home, but can we adopt? I may have grown attached on the journey here, and I think I want to see her bloom. She’s like a sprout that’s just been reborn, and I want to help her thrive.”
“I never thought you would be the one to suggest we start a family,” Tighnari poked. “But that sounds wonderful. Tomorrow I’ll get the necessary paperwork, and we can talk to her about it.”
The pair looked again at their soon-to-be daughter, and smiled at each other. Tighnari gently lifted the girl - now fast asleep - from her seat, cradling her with the same care he would for any of the forest animals. They walked up to her room, tucked her in under a fresh blanket, and left her to sleep soundly in a bed for the first time in as long as she could remember.