Xiao POV
"I see." Dain mused. "Well, I can pretty much figure out where the first Field Tiller ended up. Do you have any guesses?" "Really!" Paimon exclaimed. "Just from the Lupus Boreas story?" "That combined with an educated guess, and a comprehensive analysis."
Xiao thought it funny that though Lumine was the main one travelling around, most of the talking was done by that miniature pixie. "Like that story you told me you heard in the cathedral." "The Tyrant's Final Fury." Lumine completed for him. "Yes, the strange story told to you by that young sister, long considered to be a curse laid down by a deceased tyrant." "Uh, actually, Barbara's the deaconess." Lumine mumbled, scratching her neck. Both Xiao and Paimon gave her a look that clearly said, 'Really?' "Sorry." She mumbled. "Totally unrelated." He motioned for Dainsleif to continue.
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"We may have to go back to Stormterror's Lair, and comb through the area again." Xiao muttered. "No." Lumine interrupted him halfway. They all looked at her questioningly. "There was an abandoned ruin guard in the tower of Stormterror's Lair. Paimon, don't you remember when we went up there with Venti, Jean and Diluc?"
"Ooh, Paimon remembers too! Hard to forget such a thing." Xiao snorted. "Really? Sounded distinctly like you had forgotten about it just now. " "Hmph." Paimon crossed her arms defensively.
Lumine POV
"This is it, right? Use your elemental sight to search for the eye!" Paimon was as energetic as always. Maybe little kids always had that much energy. But yeah, she had a point. Lumine activated her elemental sight, and looked towards the ruin guard.
....Nothing?
Absolutely nothing, nada zilch. "Nothing?" Paimon exclaimed. "But Paimon was so excited..." She had an air of dejection about her. She heard Xiao sigh. "Did you do it right?" "Yes she did." Dain said. "However, elemental sight doesnt work on Field Tillers, as they are not composed of the elements. Let me give it a try." They all looked curiously at him, while he extended his hand. It started to glow with a weird blue light, The Ruin Guard had the same effect. "... And done." Lumine watched, astonished, as something that looked like the core of the ruin guard emerged.
"The very thing the Abyss Herald has been seeking all along- the eye of the very first Field Tiller." But... something seemed to be off about it. She had a gut feeling that this wouldn't work. Nevertheless, she didn't say anything.
"The Abyss Order's plan is dangerous... They must be stopped." Xiao said firmly. "What should we do with this eye?" He asked calmly. "Hide it somewhere no one will find it?" "No. I will guard it myself."
There was a pause, then Paimon said worriedly, "You?! Dain.... You won't go and do anything crazy with it, will you?" "You may doubt me if you want, but I need to ensure that it does not fall into the wrong hands." "We take you for your word." Xiao said calmly. "Till now, you haven't given us any reason to not trust you." "Then I appreciate your help and support." Dainsleif replied.
"But our work isn't done yet. To avoid further repercussions, we must also take care of that Defiled Statue." "By doing what, exactly?" Lumine asked, hands on her hips, sassy side coming out. "By taking care of it, I naturally mean to completely destroy it." She immediately knew the barrage of words that was gonna come from a certain munchkin fairy beside her.
"Destroy it? That's a statue of the Seven! As well as being a really important cultural relic, they are also actually divine! Ugh, well, good thing we didn't tell Barbara earlier. Otherwise she'd be going completely bonkers right now!" Xiao coughed to interrupt her monologue.
"Hmph." Dain snorted. Bad habit Dain, bad habit. She thought in slight amusement. "Do the Seven really expect me to help them look after what belongs to them?" "Guess you have a point. We shouldn't have expected anything less from you." "Lets go back to those ruins, and destroy the statue. If we are lucky, we all could also run into that Abyss Herald. I'll make sure it doesn't escape this time." She nodded, although she was groaning internally about having to go into those creepy ruins and most of all, ANNOYING BUBBLES. Again.
Xiao POV
"Look at us... We barely escaped the last time, and now we are strolling right back in. Geez, we must surely be some of the bravest adventurers in all of Tevyat!" "That or the stupidest." Xiao added.
Xiao followed Lumine and Paimon, as did Dain, since they didn't know the way around these ruins, having never been there before. "If we follow the same route we used to escape last time, we should be able to get to it. Everyone remember to keep your guard up." Lumine said.
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"Looks like we are here." Dainsleif said. "An eerie, lifeless, dark chamber... I understand the evil aura you were describing earlier. Be careful to not be overwhelmed by the power of the Defiled Stat-" He broke off midsentence. "The Abyss Herald, its here."
"Mwahahaha.... You sense correctly." Came a rasping voice from behind them, as the ground shook a little. And there it was, the now familiar Herald. "You are just as vexatious as ever, Dainsleif, enemy of the Abyss. I sense you stained by terrible bloodshed, perhaps from your darkest nightmares? Unless... You also reek of a corruption familiar to me. Then we are the same. But dangers from outside the Abyss Order must be caught and caged."
"Tsk." Xiao snorted. All that monologuing, and Dain just replied with a 'tsk'? "It is your words that forever reek of corruption. Time to... silence you!" Lumine sighed. "You really don't learn your lesson, Herald, do you?" With that, she motioned to him, as he joined to fight against this pesky Abyss monster.
Dainsleif POV
Once again, he wanted to commend them on their fighting. As a team, Xiao and Lumine were so strong, so in sync, that he didn't need to interrupt at all. It was almost as if they read each other's minds in battle.
In the end, Xiao too had to stand back as Lumine clashed swords with the Herald. He was thrown back because of the impact, and held his hand out, as a starry portal opened behind him. But Dainsleif was prepared for this. He would not let the Herald slip away so easily. He thrust his hand out, and tendrils of blue smoke emanated from it, as they curled around the Herald, making him struggle to move. Suddenly, an unexpected movement occurred out of the corner of his eye. An all too familiar sword movement, headed straight for him- He was thrown back, head over heels. As the smoke cleared... All their eyes widened. A familiar boy, with a braid, and golden eyes the exact same color as Lumine.
Aether.
Mixed POV- Lumine, Xiao, Dainsleif.
Aether.
Lumine was shocked, shocked beyond belief, but relief and happiness were her primary emotions. "H- Hey, could that be..."
"Aether." she whispered. He was safe, and he was okay! She had finally found her brother! "Lumine..." Aether said softly. But why did she hear... sadness in his tone? They were finally reunited! "I've finally found you!" She exclaimed. "Lets go home!" But, in all the excitement, she missed out on one very important detail, which Paimon pointed out. "Wait Lumine! He- he just blocked an attack against the Abyss Herald!"
Paimon pointed out the very important thing that Lumine had missed. Xiao could sense a torrent of strong emotions from Lumine, and it was to be expected. He stepped back, to not interrupt in this family reunion. But his gut instincts told him that everything was not right. Something would go terribly, terribly wrong. Her brother, and the Abyss...
"Lumine, why are you with Dain?" Aether asked. The softness in his voice when talking to Lumine disappeared as a hint of harshness crept into his voice. At this moment, Dainsleif knew for certain that he really hated Dain. Lumine's confusion and hurt was evident on her face, and in her voice.
"... What? Why... are you asking about Dain?" She tried to get some words out, but her choking throat didn't allow it. 'We've been separated for so long... Why are you asking about something that doesn't matter?' All that mattered to her was her family, her brother! "Your brother... knows Dain, Lumine?", Paimon asked, oblivious to the current of emotions flooding through her right now.
"... Aether. We meet again." Dain stepped forward. Wait, so Aether knew Dain, and Dain knew Aether? Xiao was terribly confused, as he tried to sink even further into the shadows. "What's going on here?! Dain knows him too!" He wanted to punch Paimon. Did she not know how her travelling companion must be feeling? Could she be ANY more tactless?
"You shouldn't team up with this man." Aether told Lumine. "He is my enemy." "Aether" Dainsleif whispered, desperation creeping up in his voice. "Please, listen to me once." "Stop saying things that don't make sense, Aether!" Lumine exclaimed. Only then did he realise how Lumine must be feeling.
Aether sighed. "...But it must be said. Don't try to stop me. Don't try to stop the Abyss." He said with finality in his tone. Turning towards the other blonde- haired man in the room, he said, "That man, Dainsleif, was the 'Twilight Sword', one of the royal guards of the final dynasty of Khaenri'ah. 500 years ago, he failed to prevent the destruction of Khaenri'ah. A curse of immortality was laid upon him, to forever wander the wilderness... while he watched the people he was supposed to PROTECT turn into the monsters of the Abyss!" Aether ended on a note of anger.
Now Xiao stepped forward. "Sorry to interrupt, but do you know how your sister might be feeling? All she wanted was to meet you , be with you again, and here you are, dumping information upon information on her, while turning out to be on the opposite side." "Who is this man?" Aether asked, frowning. "I do not need to answer your question."
Paimon's eyes were wide as she said, "Wait, you are saying, Dain is from KHAENRI'AH? The same Khaenri'ah that was destroyed 500 years ago? And the monsters of the Abyss are the people of Khaenri'ah themselves! And uh, the whole thing about Dain being your enemy? Oh, Paimon's soo confused." "Shut up, Paimon." Xiao said, glaring daggers at her.
"You can tell me about all of this later." Lumine whispered, her voice cracking due to sheer emotion. "Lets go home!"
"Home..." Aether murmured, his eyes faraway, distant. He quickly snapped back into the present though. "Yes, of course. Home is wherever we are together..." His voice had gone considerably softer, his hand on his heart, showing that whatever he had become, he still did love his sister. "But I cannot go with you to the next world to find a new home. At least, not yet." His voice grew firm, as he said, "Until the Abyss has engulfed the thrones, my war with destiny shall see no end."
"D-Destiny?" Lumine whispered. She couldn't understand it, why was he with the abyss, what was his war with destiny, WHY COULDN'T THEY GO HOME TOGETHER?! "Listen to me, Lumine." He said it the way an older brother would speak to his younger sister. "I have already travelled through this world once. Once you reach the end of your journey as I did, you will see for yourself the true nature of this world."
The Abyss Herald opened up the portal again. Sadness was reflected in Aether's voice, as he said when Lumine took a few steps forward, "So we'll meet again. Though we need not rush, sister. I have more than enough time to wait for you."
"No..." Lumine whispered, starting to run towards him. "We have always... had enough time." He extended his hand, and something blue and glowing, the same color of the Herald, floated towards Lumine, getting absorbed inside of her. Not caring about that, she ran towards him faster. With that, he turned around, and walked into the portal. Xiao didn't fail to notice that his hands were fisted as he left. Suddenly Dainsleif glowed blue as he raced with superhuman speed to the portal, and disappeared inside it. Xiao grabbed Lumine's hand, as he too sped towards it, but they were too late. Lumine swiveled around to see the portal disisippate in front of their eyes.
"They... left..." Paimon whispered disbelievingly. Lumine simply stared at the space where the portal had been before, sorrow etched on every one of her features, as a hand remained extended. "I'm sorry." Xiao murmured. "I should've been faster-" "It's not your fault Xiao." She said softly, but firmly.
She gasped as she suddenly collapsed to her knees. Xiao instantly bent over her, worried. "Are-Are you alright?" He asked. Her hand shook as she extended it. "Nonono, not again." She whispered, as ink- black tendrils curled out from it. She cried out once in agony, a tearing scream, before she collapsed, unconscious. Before she passed out, she murmured, "So that's what the ball of darkness was..."
(2258 words.
Bahahaha *evil witch laugh* well, how did you like that for a new chapter after a long while? XD XD XD as for what happened to Lumine, I think I'll let you figure that out with clues from the previous chapter lmao. See yall soon!)