Accidental Arriviste || Genshin Impact

IV: Welcome to Mondstadt! Kind of...

Amber skips to the front gate, and spins around, "Let me officially introduce the city of wind, dandelions, and freedom—Travellers under the protection of the Knights of Favonius—Welcome to Mondstadt!"

Your faerie companion sighs in relief and sits on Aether's shoulder, "Finally, no more having to camp outdoors! But," She takes a look around at the denizens, who look at the skies uneasily, "The city folk don't look too cheery."

The red girl nods somberly, "Everyone's been put out of place by Stormterror recently, but everything will turn out fine as long as Jean's with us!"

Paimon tilts her head to the side, akin to a curious cat, "Jean?"

Amber grins, "Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius—Jean, Defender of Mondstadt. With her on our side, surely even the vicious Stormterror will be no match for us."

Aether whispers to you softly, "Sounds like someone pretty impressive."

"Before I take you guys to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, I have a present for you two, Aether and Y/N."

Paimon flies up from Aether's shoulders, "H-hey! Why doesn't Paimon get a reward?"

Amber looks at Paimon, amusement colouring her face, "This reward is useless to you, Paimon. But I'll treat you to a traditional Mondstadt delicacy—Sticky Honey Roast!"

Paimon looks ahead of her on a daze, "Sticky Honey Roast..."

The Outrider giggles as she turns towards you two, "Come with me. We'll head to the city's high ground."

Amber looks at the vacant space by the fountains you passed by, feeling glum, "This used to be a bustling street... but with so many Stormterror attacks recently, the usual crowds are nowhere to be seen. Except," She points at a placard with a symbol of a wine glass across the staircase you walk up on, "That local tavern near the city wall hasn't been affected. If anything, their business is better than ever."

Why is it that alcohol is what this city thrives off of?

-

As you approach an open area with a large statue, similar to the Statue of the Seven you found earlier, Amber gives you two a small, wing-shaped sticker, "So the present I want to give you is a Wind Glider! Outriders use them to ride the wind, and the people of Mondstadt love using them, too."

She ushers you two to unpeel the pad from the sticker to which Aether complies first, "I brought you here to give it to you so you can experience it right away!"

Paimon comments on the girl's jovial energy as Amber helps smother the Wind Glider on your left wrist, "Oh, you're really excited about these wind gliders, huh?"

She nods happily, "Well, that's because the wind is the heart and soul of Mondstadt!" She taps on your sticker as it starts to glow a faint light and dissolve into your skin. She checks on Aether's and as soon as she finishes, she smiles at you two, "Alrighty then, enough talk! Let's give it a whirl."

She takes in your uneasy features and reassures you, "Don't worry. It's easy to use, but you still need to pay attention to my instructions."

You look at Aether, who seems hesitant as well, but gives you a thumbs up, "Mind taking the lead, Amber?"

-

"See, you two are natural at this! Good job!"

You wipe your forehead, "That was fucking scary."

Aether smiles at you, and turns towards Amber, "Now wh—"

Amber snaps up at the sky, alarming you and Aether, "The sky..."

Suddenly, a tornado ensues on the plaza, and within seconds of touching the plaza, it sweeps Paimon and Aether away from you. Amber grabs your hand as you call out for your companions, screaming for their names.

You can hear Paimon's shrieks and Aether's cries for you as they get carried away. You look at Amber, staring into her brown orbs, "W-what do we do? We can't just leave them!"

Amber looks around, finding any signs of your companions, until she spots them and directs your attention to, "Up there!"

Sure enough, you see Paimon's twinkling aura and the golden highlights on Aether's clothing, He seems to be holding a green wheel of sorts, and fends the dragon away from the city.

Amber advised that you help her calm the other Mondstadtians, reassuring them that the two have it under control. You just hope they come back unscathed.

-

After landing, you and Amber hurriedly rush to the two. Amber inspects the golden boy for any injuries, and you approach the boy and his faerie friend to give them a tight hug, "Are you two hurt?"

You feel them shake their heads, and you breathe a sigh of relief until you hear a new voice in the background, "You've actually got the power to go up against the dragon."

You disentangle yourself from Aether and Paimon, and stare down the approaching man in blue. His tanned complexion complements his white, forearm-length shirt that reveals a bit of his cleavage. He wears tight-fitted pants and knee-length boots, akin to a horseback rider. His right eye covered with an eyepatch, his cape with an add-on fur collar, and fingerless gloves finish up the look. He eyes you and Aether carefully, "Are you a new ally... or a new storm?"

Who the hell is this man and why the fuck does he look so fine? Hopefully he's not those 'if evil, why pretty?' types.

Amber puts a finger on her cheek and mutters, "Stormterror... is attacking Mondstadt itself!" She turns to the tan man and you, "Kaeya, Aether, Y/N, you've come at the right time. We must—"

Kaeya, the bluehead, raises his eyebrow, "Hold on, Amber, are you perhaps forgetting to introduce us?"

Amber freezes and nervously laughs, "Oh, right." She turns towards you and Aether, "This is Kaeya, our Cavalry Captain."

She faces Kaeya and points at each of you respectively, "These three are travellers from afar. Aether, Y/N, and Paimon. Long story short..."

-

"I see. Welcome to Mondstadt—though you haven't arrived at the best of times, I'm afraid."

Aether nods as Kaeya continues, "I understand the anguish of being separated from family. As for you," He turns in your direction, "I'm uncertain how you were transported to Teyvat, but we welcome you nonetheless. I'm not really sure why you're looking for the Anemo God, but everyone has their secrets, right?"

He notices that you cross your arms at him, "Haha, relax! I won't press you for more. First and foremost, on behalf of the Knights of Favonius," He salutes, an arm in front of his torso and the other behind, and bows slightly, "I would like to extend our thanks to you for your help just now."

You shift your gaze from Kaeya to Aether, who nods again, "Well, we couldn't just leave the situation to fester."

Kaeya returns to his stance from earlier, "Your fight to defend the city against the dragon just now was witnessed by no small number of citizens. The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius is also very interested in meeting you, and formally invites you both to our headquarters. The building is not far from here, and you should be able to spot it immediately. Again, I give you sincere gratitude for avoiding things to escalate even further."

Kaeya smiles warmly at your group as he walks away, leaving you and Aether dumbstruck at the events that just played out.