Light, Stasis, and Ice

Chapter 5 - Sorrows and Lessons

"Nine left. Plus the ogre. Currently at your 9'oclock. "

Rick nodded and began running towards his left. Seeing more of the Acolytes, he lifted Ace and began firing. Each shot hit its mark. Rick holstered Ace as he ran past the falling bodies. Hearing massive footsteps, he began preparing a nova bomb. He swerved through an alleyway as he heard the Ogre's footsteps begin to move towards another place.

Rick jumped onto a window sill and hopped onto another roof. He saw the Ogre walking through a building, it roared in anger and began shooting at something in the air.

"What the hell is it shooting at?"

"There's a massive heat signature above the clouds. It's radiating high amounts of elemental energy!" Eliana said. Rick's inner helmet systems changed to show the heat signature.

"Is that...a fucking dragon?!" Rick exclaimed. He laughed. "This place gets weirder and weirder every day!"

With the Nova bomb in hand, Rick ran at the Ogre. He jumped off the roof, and flung the bomb with all his might. The bomb landed a direct hit and the Ogre roared in pain. As it began falling to the ground, Rick summoned his Falling Guillotine. As Rick fell towards the ground, he cleaved downward with the massive sword, cutting the face of the Ogre in half.

The giant taken body immediately went limp, and the taken energy began dissipating into the air as Rick landed on the ground.

Rick smirked under his helmet. He spun his blade in his hand, and let it dissipate into his mobile storage system. Unfortunately, his smirk was quickly replaced with a frown. All around him were bodies of people. People from Mondstadt.

His eyes surveyed the area. They then widened as he recognized one of the bodies on the ground. His fists clenched as the body of Chelsea laid there motionless. Rick grit his teeth in anger. Of all the people he had to see dead, it had to be her.

"I'm sorry, Rick..." Eliana said. Somehow, Rick could feel a comforting hand on his shoulder coming from her.

Rick was not close to Chelsea at all. It was a one night stand. But...

"It always has to be someone I get into something with..." Rick growled. He stepped over the body, moving to see if there were any survivors under the rubble.

He prayed to the Traveler that there was.

/ = /

"Over 60 casualties, 70% of them being civilians. The rest were of the Knight's of Favonius." Jean said, putting down the paper of information. Her arm was in a makeshift cast. Her sister was able to do a little bit before she had to tend to the other people who were injured.

"That bad...huh?" Rick Anderson asked. He paced around the office, helmet and cloak off. "I mean...fucking hell." He stopped moving. "I'm sorry I should've been here."

"It's not your fault, Rick. I don't think any of us knew this was going to happen."

Rick scratched the back of his neck. "Still...I should've been more attentive. If I had gotten here sooner maybe-"

"Rick." Jean interrupted. "Look at me."

The man looked at her with hesitation. "This is not your fault, Rick. And even if you claim it is, then blame me as well."

"I couldn't..." The man sighed. "Alright...I understand."

Jean nodded, and looked at the paperwork on her desk. "If I may know, what were you doing out of the city?"

"I was teaching Eula how to shoot. She asked to learn how to use a gun like mine."

"I see...That could be useful."