Nobilis Custos

Forlorn

3rd person's POV

Mondstadt, the town of freedom is facing its most crucial crisis, Stormterror's return. When they thought nothing could help them resolve the issue, the wind of fate blew over the city bringing at its doors a traveller coming from unknown far lands. Aether caught the citizen's eyes since the boy fought and survived the dragon's powers. Witnessed such venture, the Knights of Favonius now seek his help to snatch the main temples from Stormterror's grasp to have hope to save the mighty beast and the city both. Wasting no precious time, the Knights wait for the blonde traveller each in a different temple, thus together they can accomplish the first stage of the plan and in a swift manner as well.

This is why Aether and Paimon are heading to the first destination, however, along the way the outlander senses something in the air. He halts to study the surroundings. He finds odd that the change was so sudden when there's nobody in sight; only wild animals hanging around to find something to eat.

"Traveler, is something wrong?" Paimon asks carrying a smile.

"You usually have a great sense of danger." replies the blond boy, wary of his vicinity. "Don't you feel... like gently weighted down?"

"Mmh... Nope." Paimon floats around to test it and repeats herself when she confirms that she's not feeling the same as her best friend.

Having no more theories to expose, for the moment Aether decides to shrugs the goosebumps and march to the dungeon. Even if his focus is on the current mission, in the back of his mind he knows he in fact did not shrug off the feeling that something was wrong there. I'll go take a better look after I cleared this temple.

-3 hours later-

Aether walks out of the Lion Temple and set his mind to quickly run back to that previse point to further investigate the area. Paimon is confused and a little concerned for her best friend, for he doesn't answer her questions, he's so focused on reaching somewhere that he doesn't realize what's going on around him. So the little spirit tags along just in case something happens, during the night anything can happen outside the main roads.

The fog was not here before... Aether stops and pants for the frenetic running, although glad he went back to check. "Do you think the Fatui or an Abyss Mage would do this, Paimon?"

"I don't know..." this time even the floating girl has a strange feeling on her skin. Shivers run down her spine and makes her squeak and beg to ignore the matter. "Let's go back Traveler, I don't like this place!"

This time she feels something too. I cannot ignore this, for too many reasons! With a deep breath Aether moves forth, ultimately entering the wet and dense fog. Is rather strange that I am not capable of describing this sensation. I can't quite grasp if it's sinister or very gentle....

He walks and walks but not only the fog doesn't disappear, but it starts to be disorientating to the point that the outlander and his friend have to stop and reconsider what they have done and where they are.

"Let's check the map, maybe there's a secret path!" Paimon tries to stay positive to not be conquered by the nauseating feeling of spook she feels right behind her ear. "D-do it quickly though! This place is scary!" she pleads whining and floating closer to the blonde boy.

Aether walks with his map open and when he thinks he got the hang of where to go to exit the cursed fog, he hits his foot on something very hard, which almost made him trip but surely made him hiss for the painful impact.

"Gosh... What in the world was that!" he laments while trying to find the culprit. A strange stele lies hugged by plants finds his hand. Tracing the ruined symbols, Aether automatically translates them, without realizing that those ruins are from a very ancient and dead languange. "One day, a lone warrior who has braved the baneful fog, faced the hardest of challenges and reached the temple where rests the powerful Noble."