The Calamitous Champion in Teyvat

4. Ultima Thule - The Peak of a Journey

"Hello There" -- Characters speaking

'General Kenobi' -- Character thoughts

"You are" 'a bold one' -- Thoughts/Conversations in flashbacks

The Negotiator -- Titles

"Ah yes, the Negotiator" -- ??? speaking

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Sizzle, sizzle.

In the middle of a room, a feminine figure covered by a blanket could be seen blissfully sleeping on a bed. The woman slept with her mouth open, bits of drool sticking on the side of her lips, as a small wet-spot was visible on the pillow her head lay on. She snored, her nose sucking in air and expelling it out in a rhythmic manner as her bountiful chest rose and fell.

However, slowly but surely the air became mixed with the scent of fried meat, as the mouthwatering smell of a hearty breakfast drifted through the air towards her. In response, her stomach gurgled as the smell reached her, her nose greedily sucking it in an effort to quell her empty, rumbling stomach.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, her mind couldn't decide whether to stay put and go back to sleep on an empty stomach, or wake her body up in an effort to fulfill her bodily needs. In the end, hunger prevailed. The woman stirred, slowly sitting up on the bed, her eyelids barely open. As both her mind and body were still half-asleep, she did what she found most natural to her at the moment; she followed the smell of the food in to the kitchen.

The kitchen was directly connected to the bedroom, separated by a wall and a single doorway. It consisted of a stove-which was more of a cooktop situated on a brick hearth, a small sink to wash dishes, and a few cupboards to store dishes, utensils, and things like spices. There was also a small storage area for storing raw ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, and a few different kinds of meat.

In front of the stove stood a tall man. He wore black pants with a brown shirt, covered by an apron that was snugly wrapped around his upper body, displaying small traces of his chiseled physique. His long hair was tightly wrapped in a bun, making sure that no strands fell into the running stove, lest he burn his hair. He hummed a song to himself as he held a pan with one hand, moving the spatula in his other hand to flip the strips of leftover rabbit meat from the day before.

As the woman entered the kitchen, she spotted the man frying the meat. With a tired gait caused by sleepiness, she slowly trudged towards him. Reaching him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, fully leaning her weight on to his body as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Despite the fact that she practically hung from his neck with gravity pulling her weight down, the man did not budge at all. With a sigh, he advised the woman behind him as he continued to cook.

"Callie, go back to bed. Breakfast isn't ready yet."

"Noooo... Erden... am hungry... and sleepy..."

"I know you are. Just gimme a few minutes and I'll call you, 'kay? I even cooked your eggs the way you like them."

"Alrighhttt..."

She let go of his neck as she lazily made her way back to the bed, not realizing that she had almost knocked over a few things while doing so. The bed creaked as she plopped headfirst into the pillows, pulling the blanket over her as she slowly rolled herself into a burrito, closing her eyes for a few moments.

True to his word, a few minutes later Erden called out to her as he walked into the room with two plates in his hands. One plate contained scrambled eggs that were well-done, while the other contained a plain omelet with salt and pepper on it. Both plates also had strips of rabbit meat placed on them.