The Spindrift Knight and The Frostborne Outlander

Chapter 12: A Corruption From Within

3rd POV

Yap: It's a long day for us both starting tomorrow, Eula. Get some rest.

With that, they prepared to sleep to get ready for the next day.

Completing his commissions as usual, Yap helped clear some monster camps near the city.

Yap: That's.. weird. Are they preparing for an attack?

Amber: I hope not.. But the amount of camps we've to clear says otherwise.

Yap: Let's not waste any time then. You take care of camps in Whispering Woods, Thousand Winds Temple and Windrise while I'll clear camps around Stormbear Point and Mountains plus Springvale and around Dawn Winery. Think you can handle that?

Amber: I should be alright. Then I'll leave those areas to you then!

Yap: (nods) Be careful. There's no telling if the Abyss is behind this..

Clearing camps after camps, there were hilichurls, mitachurls and samachurls and occasionally Abyss Mages.

Yap: [This isn't right at all... Just why are there so damn much of them?! Whatever. At least they're cleared for now and have been burned down to the ground completely..]

Heading into Dragonspine, Yap dispatches a few more Hilichurl and Abyss Mage camps and also some Fatui camps.

Yap: ....[Something... doesn't feel quite right.]

He also took a dip in the lake afterwards, calming himself down after a day of massacre. 

Yap: [So far here in Dragonspine there's nothing but Treasure Hoarders, some Fatui here and there plus the usual hilichurls and whatnot. I've heard about the Ruin Grader in these parts though. I've yet to encounter them but sometimes it's better to not see things.] (soft sigh) [Could it be an alter personality of mine? An alter ego of sorts? If it wasn't.. it doesn't explain why the surrounding temperature dropped when we were at the domain.. or even during the date where those fellows interrupted... But if it is.. I've no choice but to contain it. Or even remove it.] 

In the days that followed, Yap found himself going to Dragonspine and Musk Reef more and more.

Eventually after travelling to those areas for few weeks straight in a row, he decided to rest awhile under the tree near Windrise.

Yap: [This place.. is suddenly much better compared to Dragonspine and Musk Reef. As if a wave of reassurance has washed over.]

Venti: (From a distance) [Oh? Isn't that Yap? Let's go say hi!] (drops down) Hey, Yap! Fancy seeing you here. Anything seems to be the matter for the Snowfrost Knight?

Yap: Ah, Venti. It's you. (shakes his head) Nope. There's no problems at all.

Venti: Hmm...

Yap: ....

Venti: ....

The two of them were silent for a while until Yap broke it.

Yap: Alright. I suppose you're willing to hear some of my troubles, yes?

Venti: It depends.

Yap: [Eh. Knowing Venti, he's bound to say that.]  Well, I've found out that I'm recently going to Dragonspine and Musk Reef quite a lot these few weeks. The monsters are still appearing alot around Mondstadt as you know..

Venti: Mhmm (pulls out an apple and bites it) Delish!

Yap: ... I know exploring is good and all, but this just doesn't seem like it.

Venti: Hmm? Whaddya mean?

Yap: ... There's something inside me that's telling me to do these actions. I've tried to resist, yet it's grip seems to be getting tighter and tighter day by day..