"We haven't done anything wrong! We haven't harmed anyone!" said Lyra, her body aching, battered and bruised as she stepped in front of her friend Nocturna. Her hair, as dark as the night, billowed around her as she lay on the floor, unconscious. There was not even the twitch of an eyelid to show she was alive. But Lyra silently prayed she would be alright, because when a god died, they became their surroundings, and she was not yet ready to lose her friend of a thousand years.
"But you could have. Neither of you are to be underestimated. And if a war broke out, would you truly choose to stay neutral, my dear Lady of Song?" The snake-like voice came from all around her, and Lyra turned, panic filling her heart. How do you defeat something that knows all your weaknesses? "Sleep."
And with that, darkness prevailed.
*
"Are you sure we can't talk this out?" asked Lyra, looking nervously at the hilichurls who were poised to attack. She hadn't even been back for 10 minutes and she had wandered into a group of hilichurls who seemed awfully close to a city. The light of the stars and the fire in their little camp was all the light Lyra could use to see. She had no weapon in hand, no sword, no arrow, no knife.
They charged. One held a fire as if she were a vampire, and two shot arrows.
Lyra sidestepped the charging hilichurl and the arrows shot by the other two. She silently thanked herself that she was petite and fast. She sang.
'The night sky shines because of stars,
And gentle storms will soon brew,
So sleep through the darkness,
Listening to a quiet and lonely tune.'
She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as they fell asleep, but her relief was short-lived as a fire spread through the grass. Lyra ran towards the city lights, like a moth to flame.
"Hey!"
Lyra turned to the sound of the voice to see a girl in red fly - no, glide down to her. The girl pulled out a bow and arrow, and Lyra tensed. But the girl turned away from her and instead looked to the fire and shot arrows into it with impeccable aim. Lyra relaxed, sure the girl was after the monsters and not her. A quick glance at the girl revealed a small orb at her side, radiating celestial power. Lyra raised an eyebrow, but decided not to inquire.
The girl gave Lyra an appraising look. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you a traveler?"
Lyra, deciding the truth would be unbelievable and better off unknown, nodded.
The girl considered her. "It's not safe out here, especially at night. Why don't you come into Mondstadt?"
Lyra nodded again, as the girl turned around and led the way to the city. The girl was looking around the plains, her eyes searching the darkness, her mind elsewhere.
"Who are you and why were they here?" Lyra asked, the silence rather unbearable.
"Amber. I'm an outrider of the Knights of Favonius. Hilichurls are usually found in the wild, but recently, they've been building camps closer and closer to Mondstadt." She paused for a second. "What's your name?"
"Lyra."
Amber stopped at the bridge, and Lyra took a step back to avoid running into her. She gestured to the side. "Take a look."
Lyra looked down at the water, stagnant and clear under the bridge, and she smiled at the stars reflected in the water. Dandelion seeds danced over the lake, searching for a place to grow. Lyra could almost make out the tiny purple lights that were her eyes, in the darkness of the water and light of the stars.
"This is Cider Lake," Amber said as she continued on to the gates. Two knights greeted them, and Lyra knew they were bored by the way they tried to engage Amber in conversation with enthusiasm, which Amber was only too happy to return.
"You don't have a place to stay, do you?" asked Amber, walking into the city. Lyra looked around at the shops just past the gates and then looked up to see the higher ground of the city. She shook her head. "Well, I think there was a house for the Knights for rent somewhere."
"It was past the tavern," a little girl piped up. Lyra looked at her and then at the potted plants on display. So this was a flower shop. Windwheel Asters, Dandelions, Calla Lilies... she smiled as she remembered showing them all to Nocturna. And then her smile faded, remembering Nocturna's fate.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Amber frowned.
The child stuck her tongue out. "It's not that late!"
"It is," said the girl who was standing above her on the raised platform. "You should close the shop and sleep, Ms. Flora."
"And you're going to stay up so you can see Master Diluc, right, Ms. Donna?" said Flora, as she began picking up the pots.
Donna didn't answer, but her dreamy smile was a reply on its own.
Amber cleared her throat, bringing Donna out of her daydreams. "So, about that house for rent..."
"Go straight down Angel's Share. Second house on the right," said Donna, gesturing vaguely in that direction.
Amber waved a thank you, as Lyra bowed in appreciation. They headed down the streets together, leaving Flora to close up the shop and Donna to her fantasies.
"Why do they know more about the houses of the Knights than you do?" asked Lyra with genuine curiosity.
"Well, I'm never around and they pick up on all the gossip," Amber said with a hint of defiance. Amber looked to a small shop. "This is Angel's Share." She waved a hand to the tavern, and Lyra's interest was caught by the missing person board next to the door. They headed down the street, stopping by a house.
Lyra realized as they stood outside that she had no way to pay her back. "I have no way to return this favor."
"This house is a spare anyway. You can pay us back when you get some Mora."
"You're quite relaxed about this."
"This is the city of freedom after all," said Amber with a hint of pride in her voice. She stepped away, tossing a goodbye over her shoulder as she traversed alone through the silent city.
Lyra walked into the house, and looked around. It was small, but surprisingly cozy. Crossing the living room, she walked into the bedroom and flopped down onto the bed, thinking of all that had transpired, as she brought up earlier memories. Nocturna hadn't died, there was no way. They had been sealed together, a seal now broken. Lyra didn't know how it had broken or who had done the deed, but she would be eternally grateful.
A sudden chill went through her bones as she sat up, and the coziness of the house disappeared in an instant. She looked around for the source of her discomfort and noticed an envelope by the window. Had that been there when she had entered?
Picking up the letter, she turned it over to see an unfamiliar seal. The light of the streetlights would be enough to read, she decided as she opened it and pulled out a letter. Half of it was unreadable, either a different language or code, but the half she could read made her heart stop in her throat. Whoever sent this letter wanted her to listen to their instructions and included a threat into their carefully woven words. This letter was meant to be kept a secret.
If she didn't listen, Nocturna would die.
Lyra ran through the letter again, searching for a clue as to who the sender was, but there was nothing else there. The streetlights flickered as if sensing her discomfort. There was nothing readable in the letter that said anything about her friend's whereabouts. Lyra had not been free for more than an hour, and she already felt trapped again.
Dread filled her, before she quickly stomped it down. There was no way these people knew who Nocturna was, there was no way they had her. Besides where was the proof?
She picked up the envelope again, realizing something was still inside. Her breath hitched in her throat as she pulled out an intricately designed piece of cloth; a design of a silk flower in a night sky, and all doubt vanished.
Nocturna's seal was broken and she was alive, for now.
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A/N: I'm quite confident in my grammar, but my story may be lacking in whatever you're searching for. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.