Cold Blooded

Aboard the Karlin

 Chongyun stood at the port side of the ship trying to see Liyue harbor, but failed. A large man, the captain, walked over and placed a hand on Chongyun's shoulder.

"Hello, there," The man started. "My name is Andrei. I am the captain of this ship. I know you're here because of a harbinger, but we all need to earn our keep." Andrei placed a pile of clothes in his hands. "Put these on and I'll be sending another recruit down to show you the ropes after." Turning away, he added with a small smile. "I think the two of you will get along well."

Chongyun looked at the bundle of clothes and hurried below deck to find a place to change. He managed to find a cabin like room lined with bunks. At one end was a small mirror and closet.

The bundle of clothes consisted of a pair of grey pants, a collared shirt, a red vest, and a hooded jack with a black fur lining. Tucked inside was also a pair of dark grey boots and gloves. Chongyun slipped them on, surprised to see how comfortable they were and how well they fit.

He turned and looked at himself in his mirror. His fingers traced the fatui emblem on the jacket. He had seen members of the Fatui around the harbor and even in the mountains. As he stared at himself in the mirror he began to regret this decision. He had heard rumors of what the Fatui had done. Some even said that they were the ones behind Osial's attack and Morax's death, but that didn't make sense. Mr. Childe and the people in the Northland bank had been nice and Captain Andrei seemed nice, in his own way.

Chongyun's mind couldn't help but wander to the journey ahead. He had heard some sailors saying that it was a two week journey to Snezhnaya. It wasn't that long...

The boat swayed to the side and his discarded pile of clothes slid to the side. He grabbed it from the floor and looked at it. He slipped his belt out from the bundle and buckled it around his waist. His vision glowed in its holder. Chongyun ran his fingers over the small bead of amber at the end.

Xingqiu had given it to him. It was supposed to help him to tamper down his yang spirit, but had never really done much. Chongyun was happy to have something from his friend left. He was stepping into a new life, but this would always be a reminder of his past.

"Hello?" A small knock sounded from the far side of the cabin. "Are you ready yet?" Was this the recruit that Captain Andrei had said was coming? Chongyun walked over to the door and opened it.

On the other side was a girl with a smile on her face. A purple coat with a black fur trim hung over her shoulders. She had the hood knocked back, but a mask covered her eyes. A glowing lantern hung from her back. Metal plating criss crossed her chest and an electro vision rested at her collar.

"Peek a boo!" The girl lifted her mask and stuck out her tongue. She laughed at Chongyun's surprise then stretched out her hand towards him. "Welcome aboard the Karlin, comrade!"

She grabbed Chongyun's hand and led him up to the deck, chattering the whole way up. "My name is Hisaya, you can call me Saya. That's what everyone here calls me anyways. What was your name again?"

"I- My name is Chongyun," He thought for a moment. "You can call me Yun though. That... That's what my friends call me."

"Haha, that's a nice name. I've never heard anything like it before." The girl, Saya, waved over a sailor. When he approached, Saya held out a hand.

"What do you want, Saya? The man said it with a sigh, but a smile teased the corner of his lip.

"You owe me twenty mora," She said with her hand still outstretched. "I got his name in seconds and a nickname too. You're lucky I don't charge extra for that."

The man scoffed and forked over the coins. He then left with a small wave and a smile.

"Did I- Was my name just a bet?" Chongyun looked over Saya again, a bit of distrust now in his eyes.

"Ah, you'll get used to it," Saya said while counting her coins. "We bet over everything. Each time there's a new recruit, the crew bets on who can get their name first."

She slid all the coins into a heavy pouch that she then tucked into her coat. "Besides," She turned back to Chongyun and smiled. "We're making a stop in Inazuma before we head to Snezhnaya, and this will be our entertainment fund. Now come on, lemme show you around before Andrei gets on my case."

Saya showed Chongyun around and introduced him to much of the crew. Zyrenia, the first mate, was at the wheel. She had a strong temper and always stayed distant when Chongyun was nearby. She tended to look at him with a certain sadness in her eyes, the look made Chongyun squirm and feel guilty. Fangqi was incharge of all the ammunition and defenses. He was a heavy set man that had a rough laugh. He liked to ruffle Chongyun's hair with huge hands. Gisei was the man that had bet with Saya over Chongyun's name. He was only a year older than the two of them, but he was already a whole head taller. He was in charge of all things related to the sails. He looked so free when he stood up in the crow's nest, watching for any obstacles or ships. A smile danced on his lips as the wind blew through his dark hair. Saya was the head of navigation. She kept a compass clipped at her side at all times and had maps of all seven nations rolled up and stored in a water proof container.

Chongyun soon became very good friends with the mop and the bucket. He was in charge of cleaning the deck and quarters. It wasn't too hard and still left him time to train with the others.

Gisei and Fangqi both used something called a gun. Apparently, it was an invention in Fontaine that was similar to a bow, but did not require a string. Instead of arrows they used little bits of metal called bullets. It was much stronger and could hit targets further than any bow Chongyun had seen.

Saya used her lantern as a sort of catalyst like Lady Ningguang. She also had two little bats that she took care of in her room with Zyrenia. She had named the bats "Lost" and "Found." She had found them in the mountains around Inazuma, and now they lived inside her lantern.

Andrei carried a sword at his side at all times, even though Chongyun had never seen him use it. He tended to use his fists during sparring sessions. He took it upon himself to show the others how to use their fists. He told them that their weapons wouldn't always be there for them and they would need to be able to defend themselves at all times.

Zyrenia led drills whenever she wasn't at the wheel. She swirled her spear through the air like it was an extension of herself. She fought as if she was dancing a deadly dance. She helped Chongyun with his claymore. Though her help tended to be more of her yelling at how clunky and broad his movements were.

Though it definitely wasn't easy, Chongyun had begun to love his life on the Karlin. The crew had become a bit like a family to him. He knew that the journey would have to come to an end, but for now, he was happy. He didn't yet know how much he would need these memories in the future.

author's note:

Happy Friday! Thank you again for reading. Apparently Cicin mages summon cicins, crazy isn't it? I thought they were bats. Lost and Found and supposed to be these "bats." I am taking the creative liberty of making them bats for this story. Also, Hisaya, Gisei, Zyrenia, Andrei, and Fangqi are all original characters. Pretty much everyone else in the story so far are cannon characters.

chapter art by @shizou23