Preeminence

Ch. 03: Turmoil

You watched in silent fascination as you walked along the trail through the plains. As you moved, the sun gradually crept higher in the sky, warming the cold morning air around you. The wind blew gently through the golden leaves overhead, bringing with it the sound of birdsong and the scent of sweetflowers. Your steps never faltered nor did the pace at which you walked quicken.

At one point, you had gone off track and were wandering aimlessly without any notion of where and how long you had wandered.

Eventually, your feet led you to the edge of a pier, overlooking a vast expanse of water. You peered down from atop the wooden walkway, looking over the water below. The calm, placid surface was broken by the occasional fishes swimming and darting about, their colorful scales reflecting the sunlight in dazzling streaks of color that danced across the water like an endless kaleidoscope.

In the distance, you could make out the silhouette of Wangshu Inn. Despite the obvious signs that the inn had seen better days, the structure seemed well taken care of. And the view you were currently enjoying certainly did nothing to diminish its overall charm.

You were... delighted. So much so that it felt unnatural, almost as if something was amiss. You can't help but feel that you are forgetting something — something very important.

"Master! Master!" Saru, the mask representing a monkey, cried as he shook himself to grab your attention, pulling you from your musings. "Was it really wise to leave Lord Tartaglia without a word? He must be fuming right now! What if he comes for our heads the next time he sees us? Oh! Oh, Master! You must protect me when that happens!"

Ah, that's right. You ghosted him.

No regrets. None at all.

In fact, you might add, you are quite proud of yourself for having managed to retain a level of decorum and self awareness while you did so. You wonder what Tartaglia is going to think once he realizes that you are no longer following him. Not that it mattered much to you anyway.

You fought back a huff as your attention was drawn back to the scenery before you. "And why should we concern ourselves with that fool? There is no reason for us to fear him."

Saru gave you a perplexed stare. "To think that Master is saying this as if there is nothing wrong with disobeying a Fatui Harbinger—"

He was promptly cut off short by a distant shriek that broke through the peace of the morning, accompanied by the rustling of faraway trees. You looked in the direction of the noise, catching a glimpse of a white blur before realizing that it was approaching at high speeds. Before you could react, Otobide rushed forward and intercepted the flying figure before it reached you. A yelp of surprise escaped the newcomer as they collided with Otobide, stumbling backwards with great force.

"Ow... ow... Paimon's head hurts! What was that for?!" she cried, gingerly rubbing her forehead where it had connected with Otobide.

The masks began eyeing her warily, like birds of prey preparing to pounce upon a defenseless animal. She seemed oblivious to their reactions though, too preoccupied in regaining her bearings.

"Oh? And who is this little pipsqueak?" Otobide loomed dangerously over her, his tone almost condescending. "You dare disturb Master in her solitude?"

You watched quietly on the sidelines, trying to assess the situation. You were quite curious about this 'Paimon', whoever she may be, but you weren't exactly keen on being a part of the whole spectacle just yet.

"Brother Otobide, please have pity on this poor infant creature!" Komote said as if to soften the blow of Otobide's remark. "She looks as harmless as a little lamb. Surely, a cute little thing such as herself couldn't even hurt a fly."