ART BY KAEYACENTRIC ON TWITTER https://twitter.com/julyberich/status/1457111696296890373?s=21
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"Lumine, Lumine! Are you okay?"
The young woman groaned as she came to her senses. Who was calling her? And why was she halfway inside some bushes?
"Lumine! You're alive! Paimon was so worried!"
Lumine sat up and held her head. Who was---
"Paimon!" she gasped, snapping her head to where the little pixie was floating, "What happened? Where's my brother? Where are we?"
Paimon shifted side to side, scratching her head. "Well, ya see, we're in Mondstadt... and Aether's in Liyue."
Lumine grasped Paimon's shoulders. "W-What?! How did this happen? A-Are you joking?"
"P-Paimon isn't sure what happened either! Paimon just remembers waking up in Liyue with Aether, and when we couldn't find you, Aether sent Paimon to look for you."
Lumine groaned and pulled on her bangs. What happened to them? Her memory was too foggy to make out anything other than the three of them traveling on a path, but that wasn't helpful.
"W-Wait, how long have you been searching for me?" Lumine gasped. Paimon and Aether could've been searching all over Teyvat for her!
Paimon grabbed onto one of Lumine's hands. "Don't worry, Paimon hasn't been searching for long. After we couldn't find you in Liyue, Aether remembered that we were heading there from Mondstadt and he figured you'd be somewhere around that area."
The blonde frowned and used a free hand to tug on a bang. The foggy memory became more defined but she still couldn't remember anything from before that. "So Aether's resting in Liyue?" she asked
Paimon nodded, taking an envelope out from... somewhere. "Mhm! He gave Paimon a letter to give to you and he told Paimon to bring you to Liyue!"
Lumine accepted the letter and slowly turned it in her hands. "We can take that path we were traveling on before, right?"
Paimon made an 'X' with her arms. "No! It's super dangerous! Paimon was flying through there looking for you when she got caught in a terrible storm that flung her aaaallllllll the way over here. It's really scary! You can even see it from over here!"
Lumine's gaze went in the direction Paimon pointed. Ah, she could see dark clouds on the horizon.
"Is there another way to get to Liyue?" Lumine asked softly.
"Well, we could cut through the wilderness but Paimon doesn't think that's a good idea because you should be resting, not fighting. Hmm... the only other path Paimon can think of is going by boat."
"That sounds longer than taking the land route."
Paimon shook her head. "Trust the best guide in Teyvat! Because of that crazy storm, all the monsters and bad guys will be scrambling like crazy into other parts of the wild. It will be much faster and easier taking a boat than going by land."
"Paimon..."
"Yeah, Lumine?"
"Why does it sound like you're hiding something from me..."
Paimon giggled nervously before dropping her head at Lumine's unimpressed face. "W-Well, the storm has been going on for a while so everyone's been taking boats to go around it so boats might be hard to come by."
Lumine slouched. She should've known it wouldn't have been that easy. At least if she had her memories she probably would've known someone in the city to ask about sea travel, but they still weren't coming back.
"L-Lumine! Don't eat your hair! P-Please don't be so stressed!" Paimon pleaded
The blonde slowly pulled her hair out of her mouth. "Stressed? I'm perfectly fine, Paimon! Let's get to Mondstadt. I don't know how far away we are from the city and we need to reach it before dark. People are much more receptive to questions when there's light out." Lumine said determinedly.
"Okay! Mondstadt is this-a-way!" Paimon cheered.
~♡~
When Lumine stepped through the gates, the sun had set, leaving the city bathed in golden pink light and shades of purple.
"Paimon wonders if we made it just before they closed the gates," Paimon whispered to Lumine
Lumine gave Paimon a look. "Didn't we pass by a couple of people who were still adventuring?"
"Paimon was just wondering," the pixie sulked.
Lumine smiled to herself and examined her surroundings. A blacksmith was on her left, a fruit stand and a flower stand were to her right and a large boulevard was in front of her. She remembered seeing the sea on her right when crossing over the bridge to enter the city so she started towards the stands.
"Does Mondstadt have pirates?" Lumine asked Paimon in a hushed voice, noticing some strangely dressed people stumbling past her.
Paimon nodded and floated closer to her. "Mhm! But Paimon heard that the only 'pirates' in Mondstadt are the ones that the Ordo Favonius approves of and that the ones they don't approve of are captured by them or the other 'pirates.'" Paimon whispered
"Would it be hard finding a pirate who'd let me on their ship?"
Paimon nodded. "Of course! They're busy running errands for the Ordo Favonius and getting loot for themselves. But it's still easier trying to find a boat than going through that storm."
Lumine tugged on a bang. If Paimon made finding a ship seem impossible then how much worse was the storm? 'I have to get on a ship, even if I need to stowaway,' Lumine thought
"Hey, there's a vendor over there! Let's go ask her some questions!" Paimon flew off before she could reply.
The blonde sighed and trudged after her companion goodnaturedly.
"Excuse me miss, do you know anyone who has a ship heading to Liyue?" Paimon asked
The woman scowled grumpily. "Bah! I got off a boat from Liyue a couple of weeks ago and I still haven't sold all my inventory! I sold more jewelry aboard the boat than I did here!"
"Um, that's unfortunate. Did that boat you arrive on come back in town as yet?"
"I don't know. If it did, then you would've found more people boarding than disembarking. A lot of people have been stranded here and I imagine it's the same way in Liyue... but now people will be craving something foreign even more! Then they'll have to come and buy my products in their desperation for something new!"
Lumine shared a worried look with Paimon. She doubted people would be that desperate, especially since the poor weather hadn't seemed to reach around the city where people would be adventuring.
She seems a little crazy. Paimon mouthed.
I think she's the one going stir-crazy. Lumine mouthed back, agreeing.
"Say, would you like to buy one of my wares? I have a beautiful pocket watch that was owned by a brave and fearless adventurer and you certainly look like a traveler."
She found a watch shoved unceremoniously into her hands. Paimon popped away to wherever she disappeared to before she was the lady's next victim.
"Now this is an expensive piece straight from Liyue and they sell it for 5,000 Mora over there, but I dropped it to the affordable price of 2,000 Mora."
Lumine took a step back. "Um, that's nice but I don't have enough Mora on me for that and I just needed information about the boats."
The lady took the watch out of her hands. "Ah, you drive a hard bargain. I have something else in my shop that I can sell to you for a very special price: 1000 Mora!"
The moment the lady turned around to rummage through her shop, Lumine looked around for a place to hide when a commotion caught her eye.
A tall, lanky man stumbled out of what she assumed was a tavern. A thick patch of hair covered his right eye with the rest of his long blue hair tied back in a ponytail with an excessive amount of jewelry draped over him and the extravagant brown fur coat he had on his shoulders. He had a bottle in his hands and was singing a rather bawdy song as he staggered down the road.
Two more men, bulkier and rougher looking, stormed out of the tavern and ran up to the blue-haired man.
"Hey, let us give ya a hand." one of the buffer men said. Each of the men grabbed an arm and dragged the blue-haired man into a nearby ally.
Lumine glanced at the lady. She was still yammering away as she searched through her shop. A cursory look up and down the street caught a knight's retreating back. He was too far away to call for help and make it in time.
'I should really stay out of it,' Lumine thought with a sigh, running into the ally.
"Hey!" she shouted, hoping she didn't misread the situation and running into something that she didn't want to see, "Leave him alone!"
Three heads turned to look at her. The blue-haired man was pinned against the wall by one of the other men with the other one holding a dagger to his throat.
The man holding the dagger scowled and stomped closer to her. "If ya tryna buy time for tha gua'ds ta get heeyah sweethaht, don't bothah. We can get outta this alley quicka' than they can get in." he grunted, his words slightly slurred.
Lumine crouched into her battle stance and pulled her sword out of thin air.
The man's eyes widened before darkening. "Alright, sweethaht. I won't mess up that face o' body a' yahs too bad. I can make a lotta money offa it." He sheathed his dagger and took out a long sword.
'I can't promise that I won't mess up your face,' Lumine thought as he rushed at her.
She ducked around his first swing and sliced at the belt on his waist. She dove and caught it before it hit the ground, rolling past the man and standing up between him and the blue-haired man. He swung down hard and she used both hands to brace her blade.
"Lumine!"
She whipped her head around to see the other man rushing at her.
"Wind blade!" She took a hand off her hilt and aimed at the other man. A gust of condensed wind threw the man back against the city walls. Before her arm could give out under the man's greater weight, Lumine ducked and rolled out of the way, causing him to stumble forward. While he was off-balance, she swung her hilt at the back of his head, knocking him out.
Bang!
She raised her head from the unconscious man to see his accomplice fall from halfway up the wall. Next to his body was a giant brick. Paimon, who Lumine assumed had called her and dropped the brick, waved happily. She breathed out a side of relief and let her sword go, watching as it shattered into small particles of light.
"Good job," Lumine smiled, fist-bumping the pixie when she reached her side, "Now let's free him up."
Sometime during her fight, the blue-haired man got tied up. Paimon removed the gag from his mouth while Lumine used the dagger to free his arms and legs.
He stood up shakily with a cheeky grin and offered her an unstable bow.
'Wow. He's tall.' Lumine thought offhandedly before her nose wrinkled, 'And he smells like alcohol.'
"Thank you for your help, miss." he purred. Lumine tilted her head. He had a sensual voice. It reminded her of drinking a cold, icy drink on a hot day or the feeling of melting ice running down her spine. "But I had it under control."
Lumine rolled her eyes and shoved the dagger in his hands. "Of course," she responded sarcastically
"But since you helped me out of the kindness of your heart, I shall return the favor in kind." He stepped closer to her and shot her a wild grin. "As long as it's in my power, I shall give you whatever your heart desires."
"A boat ride to Liyue Harbor?" Lumine asked half-heartedly. She didn't think---
"Ah! You're in luck! My ship is setting off for Liyue Harbor tomorrow." the man beamed.
Before she could even formulate a response, she felt Paimon tap on her shoulder. She held up a hand to the man and scooted a short distance away from him.
"He doesn't seem very reliable," Paimon whispered.
"He looks like he's a pirate though, right?" Lumine whispered back. She had noticed an eyepatch under his bangs when she was freeing him.
The two girls hesitantly peeked over their shoulders. The man was studying the blade in his hands. The gaudy jewelry and overly luxurious coat were still on him.
"Paimon guesses?" Paimon shrugged, "But he looks like someone that sweeps the deck, not someone who can say who can board the ship or not."
"Well if it turns out he's lying, we can just beat him up and leave," Lumine said, walking back to the man.
"Have you made your decision?" he smiled
"How much is it gonna cost?" she asked
He threw back his head and laughed. "Cutting straight to the point. I like it." His lone eye twinkled like a star in the dark as he regarded her curiously. "How about free room and board? I'd like to think my well-being is worth at least that much.
Lumine nodded. "And I have your word?"
"Of course! Meet me at the western gates at dawn--- actually, meet me at Good Hunter. I'll even buy you breakfast."
Paimon let out a loud cheer. "Thanks," Lumine said, stopping Paimon from floating off in happiness, "See you tomorrow."
"Just a moment,"
She stopped with a foot in the air.
"Don't be late. I don't like waiting."
"Got it," she winced, speed-walking out of the alley.
"Where to next, Lumine?"
'Ah, Paimon. Always taking my mind off sketchy people,' Lumine thought
"Where do you want to go, Paimon?"
"Hehehe, Paimon was thinking of going to Good Hunter. Paimon heard they have this delicious plate called Sticky Honey Roast and it sounds so good~ "
She ruffled Paimon's hair affectionately. "Good Hunter it is,"
~♡~
Lumine sat up and stretched like a lazy cat. The first rays of the sun were gently kissing the sky, coloring it a soft, rosy pink. She noticed Paimon was still asleep, curled up under the blanket and snuggling against her side. They had spent the night on top of one of the towers of the Ordo Favonius building.
After they had eaten, she had bought an adventurer's backpack and some necessities, including their new blanket, for when she was traveling. Of course, she could always store things in the same place she kept her sword, but she and Aether had quickly realized that vanishing items weren't normal.
"Paimon, I need you to turn over so I can sear your other side." Lumine joked, gently poking the girl in her side.
Paimon popped up with an angry squeak. "Don't eat Paimon!"
"What a shame you woke up," Lumine sighed, "I guess I'll just have to settle for breakfast at Good Hunter."
"That's right! Paimon can't wait for all that yummy, tasty food~!" The pixie completely forgot about Lumine's slight against her.
"First, we have to stop by that tavern from yesterday," Lumine said, packing up her items.
"Why? Paimon thought we were going to meet that pirate at dawn?" Paimon turned towards the sun and gasped. "Isn't it time to meet him?"
Lumine peered over the edge of the tower. It would be harder going down than it was going up. "We won't be long. I just want to pick up a gift. If he actually owns a boat, it'll be smart to be on his good side."
Paimon crossed her arms, pouting. "Wouldn't being on time keep us on his good side?" she grumbled
"Trust me, it won't take long," Lumine promised, squatting down.
"Hey, didn't some girl give you and your brother a pair of wind gliders when we first came to Mondstadt?" Paimon asked
She didn't remember receiving such a gift, but she checked her inventory anyway.
"Ah, you're right! I do have one." Lumine gasped.
In a shimmer of golden light, a pair of tan and metallic gold wings appeared on her back. Lumine grinned and jumped off the building.
Even though the brisk, sweet-smelling breeze made her smile, her heart felt heavy. She missed her wings that could take her to the heavens and back. The wings that let her soar, not just glide.
She sighed as she touched the ground outside of the tavern. The sooner she got out of the tavern and on a ship to Liyue, the sooner she and Aether could find the woman who took away their powers.
"Angel's Share? The name sounds familiar." Paimon said as they entered the tavern.
Lumine's response died in her throat when she saw a tall, well-built man standing behind the bar. He had long red hair tied back in a ponytail and when their eyes met, she was captivated by his crimson eyes. But his gaze was only on her for a moment--- he focused again on the man in front of him.
'He looks familiar,' Lumine thought, moving to take a seat at the bar.
By the time he finished with the other patron, she had a plan in mind to gather information.
"Could I have a Berry & Mint Burst?" Lumine asked. She had a faint memory of trying their Apple Cider and that wasn't something she was keen to drink at the moment.
Paimon, who was half-hiding behind Lumine, tapped her on the shoulder.
"Make that two," she grinned, putting Mora on the counter
He dipped his head and spun away to craft the drinks.
"That's Diluc Ragnvindr, one of the few rare nobles of Mondstadt. He's a wine tycoon and owns the biggest winery, Dawn Winery. We passed by it on our way to Liyue." Paimon whispered
Lumine nodded, watching him out of the corner of her eye.
"And he's the most sought-after bachelor in Mondstadt," Paimon added
"I can see why," Lumine murmured as the man came back over with their drinks
"Will that be all?" he asked.
'He has a nice voice, too,' Lumine thought absently
Realizing she was borderline staring, she took a sip of her drink to reorient herself. "Um, I want to buy a gift for someone and I can't remember what the drink was called, but I remember the smell of it." she started
He gave her a smile that felt like an inside joke. "Some people say that the smell is the best part of it. What do you remember?"
Lumine coughed lightly. "It smelled like... Dandelion Wine... a lot of Dandelion Wine. But it smelled...diluted? Like it was mixed with something. Oh! And it had a sun somewhere on it."
The redhead placed a cup in front of her. The smell emanating from the cup reminded her of the blue-haired man.
"Yes! This is it!" she smiled brightly, "Can I have two bottles of it."
He gave her a look that she perceived as mischievous. "You're buying it for a friend, right? Are you sure you're old enough to drink?"
Her smile flipped and her cheeks reddened. He was definitely messing with her and if anyone was over the age requirement to drink, it would be her.
"It is for a friend." she bit out, though she didn't consider the blue-haired man a friend.
"Of course," he smiled, pulling out two bottles and wrapping them.
The way he was interacting with her confirmed her suspicions. They had met the first time she was in Mondstadt.
"This might sound strange, but have we met before?"
He regarded her with a neutral smile and a blank look in his eyes. "We have," he finally responded
Lumine let out a sigh of relief. 'I was worried I'd be bothering some random man,' she thought
"Well, on our way to Liyue, my brother and I encountered some trouble," she said before going on to explain the situation.
"Ah, I've kept you for too long. Here, these bottles are cold." Diluc said, placing two new wrapped bottles beside her. She thanked him and threw them behind her, watching them dissipate into sparkles in the corner of her eye. There wasn't enough room in the bag she brought and they would stay cooler there.
Diluc had taken the time to fill her in on what she and her brother did in Mondstadt and even made food for her and Paimon.
"Paimon can't believe you and your brother got on the good side of someone so cool." Paimon whispered, "That must mean that you and your brother are really cool!"
Lumine rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to buy, Paimon?"
"Hehehe, Paimon wants to try the Wolfhook Juice."
The blonde placed more Mora on the counter. Diluc would try to stop her from paying if she didn't put it down now. "Could we have one more drink? Paimon wants a Wolfhook Juice."
Paimon squeaked angrily and pushed Lumine's shoulder, embarrassed at being called out.
"Hey little lady, I'll buy you a drink." A slurred voice reached her ear and the reeking scent of overindulgence brushed her nose. A large hand slid close to her and she side-eyed the muscular man who sat next to her, pushing Paimon and her drink her other side. He eyed her up and down like she was a piece of meat.
A large mug was slammed on the counter inches away from the man's hand. "Here's your drink. Please finish and leave before I have you thrown out. I warned you about harassing patrons." Diluc said with a smile.
A cold chill ran down her spine. His eyes reminded her of freshly spilled blood illuminated by an unearthly light. It promised death for the other man.
Lumine shook her head. 'I should intervene before Diluc does something to damage his reputation.' she thought
She coughed lightly to get the attention of both men and ran a gentle finger around the rim of her empty glass.
"It's fine, I don't mind." she purred sweetly, head ducked, "He can buy me a drink."
Diluc's eyes narrowed slightly while the man sent a leering grin in her direction. "The little lady says it's fine. Not everything's just a pretty face---"
Lumine held a hand up. "You can only buy me a drink if you beat the person of my choice in a fistfight."
Paimon squeaked and ducked under Lumine's legs. The aura emanating from Diluc assured her that the other man wouldn't be walking away from the fight. Literally.
"Heh, the little lady wants to see what I can do? I'll allow it," the man rumbled.
Lumine put a hand on Diluc's and slid off her chair. She could tell he was ready to vault over the counter and knock the man to Inazuma. His eyes narrowed but he didn't argue. 'What a good man,' she thought cheerfully
"Are you sure you want to fight me?" the man snorted. When she didn't move, he laughed and shifted into a lazy stance. "I'll go easy on you now, but I can promise you you won't want me to later."
'There won't be a later,' Lumine thought, shifting into her stance.
"U-Um, f-fight!" Paimon squeaked from under Lumine's evacuated seat.
The man threw a sloppy first punch. Lumine ducked around his guard and slammed a fist into his face. Before he could regain his balance, she threw a flurry of punches into his gut and finished him off with a hook to the face. He was knocked out cold on the ground.
"We should get going before it gets too late," Lumine said matter of factly, dusting her hands off.
"Before you go, take this with you." Diluc's words were tinted with bright amusement.
She tilted her head questioningly and stepped next to the counter. He pulled a sheet of paper from somewhere and hastily scribbled down a message. He folded it into the shape of a flower and tucked it into her hair, making her cheeks warm.
"If you're sailing with who I think you're sailing with, then this is an apology for making you late," he explained
"Thank you, Diluc." she blushed lightly, "Come on, Paimon!"
The pixie quickly gulped down the rest of her drink and flew after Lumine. "Coming!"
"Uwah! It's way past dawn!" Paimon gasped when she exited the tavern.
"We did talk for a while," Lumine admitted sheepishly.
Paimon stomped her feet--- or at least air-stomped her feet. "Paimon wanted to eat at Good Hunter!"
"Didn't Diluc feed you?"
"Y-Yeah, but Paimon never turns down free food!"
"He didn't let us pay for the food..."
"W-Well Paimon never turns down food. Period!"
Lumine laughed, as riling up Paimon always made her do. "Alright, Paimon. Let's go see if he's still there. Maybe he got there late, too."
She clambered down the stone steps. She remembered seeing another set of stairs that led to the plaza on her glide over to Angel's Share.
"Hey, isn't that him over there?" Paimon said
Lumine ducked behind a cart and yanked Paimon with her. The blue-haired man was leaning against the wall, lazily flipping a coin. In the early morning light, he looked taller and softer than he did when they first met. The blue hair she identified him with looked neater and was as dark as she thought it was. His black shirt was more unbuttoned than buttoned and thoroughly filled out by broad shoulders and a muscular body.
The gap in his open shirt was decorated with a simple necklace. Hanging off his right shoulder was the fluffiest-looking cape she'd ever seen. The tight black pants that clung to his toned legs made it difficult for her to pull her attention away from them. Around his tucked waist was a belt with golden and bejeweled chains. He reminded her of a prince. A very sexy prince.
"I guess he wasn't late," she coughed nervously as she pretended she wasn't ogling him.
"That's fine. People are late all the time! We're normally not late, ya know!" Paimon nodded
'Sometimes I wish I had her carefree attitude,' Lumine thought, remembering the veiled threat the man had given in regards to punctuality.
"Let's just get it over with," Lumine sighed, walking over to him.
At first, she thought he didn't notice them, but when she finally decided to say something he snatched the coin out of the air with finality.
He gave her a once-over before his eye settled on her hair.
"You're lucky I had some last-minute business come up," he said, eye twinkling dangerously.
"Sorry---"
He waved her off. "No worries, what's done is done. Just hold on to that flower for me."
"Eh?" Paimon shifted in the air.
"Wait outside the gates. It'll be easier for me to find you when I'm finished."
"Eh?!" Paimon repeated.
Lumine sighed and dragged her outside the city walls. As they were leaving, another person approached the man they'd just left. For a moment, Lumine was worried he was dealing in something shady but she banished the thought from her mind. There was a knight standing in the gate--- no one was that bold to commence with underhanded dealings in front of a knight.
"What's going on?" Paimon asked
"Don't worry about it," Lumine hummed. A cool breeze rushed around her, whistling a soft tune through the trees and bringing the scent of fruits, flowers, and fish. She plopped down under a tree and closed her eyes.
Mondstadt is so peaceful,
"Are you ready to go?"
Lumine shot up with a start. The man had somehow snuck up on her.
"Mhm, I'm ready." She focused on fixing her bag on her back to hide her discomfort. How did he sneak up on her?
Paimon popped into existence next to her in a splash of constellations. The man looked intrigued but didn't comment on it.
"So which ship is yours? Is it that dinky one over there?" Paimon asked, pointing to an old-looking boat.
"Nope,"
"Hmm, ooo! Ooo! What about that one over there?" she asked, pointing to a small ship that looked seconds away from falling apart.
"Mine is behind that," he grinned.
Paimon flew off to look behind the ship. "Wow! We are going to sink if we take this to Liyue!" she exclaimed.
Lumine rounded the dilapidated ship and immediately winced. While it looked sturdy, it was only slightly bigger than a rowboat. Half of it was covered in boxes and bags. The man looked seconds away from cracking up.
He stepped into the boat. "Are you coming?" he snickered
Lumine sighed and followed him. Paimon gaped at them open-mouthed until Lumine dragged her in.
"I must warn you, I have to make a stop before going to Liyue." the man said as he untied the boat, "If you want to stay and try to find someone else to take you straight there, be my guest."
She shook her head. She had a feeling that finding someone else to take her to Liyue would take much longer than his stop would.
"If I may ask, where are we stopping?" she questioned
"It's an unmarked spot on the map. The man I met with said there's a treasure hoard waiting there."
Paimon, having recovered from her initial shock, asked him a flurry of questions, "Isn't that a little suspicious? Why doesn't he go there himself or with you? Is he asking to split the treasure? Doesn't he think you'll cheat him?"
"He tried to go there with his crew but their ship was sunk. What he wants from me is revenge, not treasure."
"But what if it's a trap?" Paimon asked
The man shrugged. "I won't be the one getting snagged."
As Paimon continued to ask the man questions, Lumine watched the shoreline slowly shrink. She didn't completely trust the man but she was confident she could push him into the water and row away.
"What are you thinking about, Ms. Lumine?"
Lumine turned to the other two occupants of the boat. She thought about how he found out her name but the pixie floating next to him answered her question.
'Anyway, I can't admit I was thinking of ways to knock him out,' she thought weakly, looking past the man for ideas.
"Um, you steer, I'll push the boat. Your ship is one of those, right?" she coughed lightly, gesturing to one of the many large ships floating in the deeper waters.
He glanced behind him. "Yes, my pride and joy---- whoa!"
The boat lurched forward and started picking up speed. Lumine had put her hand under the water and was pushing them forward with bursts of Anemo.
To his credit, the man quickly got over his surprise and steered the boat towards one of the largest ships there. The body was a sleek, dark blue that gleamed in the sunlight and decorated with swirls and patterns of blues, purples, and dark emerald green. The figurehead was a beautiful, intricately crafted peacock. On its head was a wreath of flowers that were native to Mondstadt.
"You can slow down," the man shouted over the splashing of the waves.
Lumine nodded and pulled her hand out of the water. The boat cruised to a stop at the side of the massive ship.
"This is my pride and joy, the Pavo Ocellus. She was a gift from my older brother." the man said. A genuine smile was on his face and Lumine found it hard to tear her eyes away from it.
"Wow! What a great brother!" Paimon gasped
The man somehow smiled even brighter. "He also got me my other pride and joy, Crya. A little on the nose with the name, but he was young when he named her. It suits her, anyway. She's a brilliant mare with the whitest coat you'll ever see and the bluest of eyes." he gushed, "Unfortunately, she prefers traveling overland than traveling overseas, so I leave her in Mondstadt."
Lumine blinked. She didn't expect that word vomit of feelings from the man and though she only knew him for a few hours, she had a feeling it was out of character for him.
"Captain Kaeya! You're back! When did you get here?" A girl with long dark brown hair a red bunny hairband leaned over the edge of the ship.
Kaeya, Lumine mouthed. It fits him.
"Why weren't aren't the sails out? Where's Fischl?" he glared at the girl.
"She's sleeping," the girl explained nervously
"And Oz?"
"Um, he's flying around somewhere? I kinda lost track of him when Fischl went below deck..."
He crossed his arms and gave her a disapproving look. The girl ducked away from view and moments later, two thick ropes were thrown overboard with a hook attached to the end. Kaeya muttered something under his breath but hooked the ropes onto the boat. When he finished, he dropped back down with a sigh and a hand over his face.
"So your name is Kaeya?" Lumine asked casually.
His hand dropped to his side and he gave her a funny look before a flash of embarrassment came across his face.
"My apologies," he said, standing up to give her a quick bow, "I'm Kaeya Alberich, captain of the Pavo Ocellus, the fastest ship in the east."
"Wow, not only do you own a ship, but you own the best ship this side of Teyvat? Paimon is super surprised! Paimon thought you just swept the deck." Paimon blurted out
"Paimon, I'm going to slow-cook you alive over a fire and feed you to slimes." Lumine hissed, forcing herself to watch Kaeya's reaction.
Surprisingly, the man burst into laughter. "I suppose I didn't make a good impression when we first met. I'll have to rectify that."
"You don't have to---" "Make a better impression with food!"
Lumine glared at Paimon. She was this close to booting her emergency food overboard.
"Of course. This time, don't be late," Kaeya joked with a wink, stepping off the side of the boat.
She sat up with alarm before realizing they were above the ship's deck. She dropped down after.
"Ms. Lumine, this is my first mate, Rosaria," Kaeya said, gesturing to a tall, intimidating-looking lady.
Rosaria eyed her distastefully. "I don't see why the captain brought you on board, but I don't care either way. Just don't get in the way, traveler. This ship is run on a smooth, efficient circuit."
Kaeya hit her side. "Rosaria! Be nice."
She rolled her eyes.
"Bring this to the hull." he ordered, handing her a rolled-up parchment, "Amber, come here!"
The brunette that threw the ropes to them bounced over.
"I'm bringing Ms. Lumine down to the guest room. Please assist her if she needs anything," he said
"Aye aye, captain!" Amber saluted.
Kaeya patted her head before leading Lumine down into the belly of the ship.
"I hope this room will be to your liking. If you need anything, come up to the deck and find Amber. And if you don't feel like being bothered, hang this on the outside of your door." he explained, "I'll see you later, Ms. Lumine~"
Lumine looked down at the small lamp grass on a string in her hand before looking at Paimon. "Paimon guesses we got really lucky with this ship,"
Lumine nodded, taking in the room. For being a room on a ship, it was quite spacious. The floor was a light-colored wood with a bed against a window. A dresser was across from the bed with a vase of Windwheel Asters and a small bouquet of small lamp grass on it. A mirror hung on the wall across from the windows.
She plopped down on the bed and took out Aether's letter.
My dear silly Viatrix,
Lumine snorted. That was definitely Aether.
How did you get yourself stuck in Mondstadt? At least, I hope you're in Mondtstadt. Anyway, I'm fine but I can't make this too long. I'm writing this during a game of hide and seek with these three crazy kids who all have Visions. Archons will give anyone a Vision, huh? You'll love them, though. We go around spying on this Fatui Harbinger (don't worry, unlike that other lady we had to beat up, this one's nice) and this guy he's always hanging around. It sounds weird but you have to be there to get it. There are bets going around the Harbor and I haven't been here for long but I already know about it! Please come to Liyue soon. I miss you... and I can't write anything sensitive in a letter that Paimon can easily lose! So come fast so I can tell you everything!
With love, your amazing, talented, and very worried brother
Lumine closed her eyes and held the letter over her heart. She was on her way to Liyue. She was on her way to Aether.
'My Viator, we will be reunited soon.'
~♡~
The harsh rocking of the ship woke Lumine up.
"Paimon, what's going on?" she asked, falling off of the bed as the ship rocked again
The pixie was floating in the center of the room, blessedly removed from the turbulent tumbling of the vessel surrounding her.
"Paimon doesn't know!" she said, flying over to the window. She disappeared before reappearing outside the ship. Lumine could tell Paimon let out a scream by the panicked waving of her arms. She poofed back inside the ship.
"There are three other ships out there and they're firing at us!" Paimon screamed
"What?! Why did no one wake me?" Lumine hissed, rushing out the room.
"Sorry! That's Paimon's fault. Paimon thought you looked really tired so Paimon hung the lamp grass on the door."
"That's really sweet of you, Paimon," Lumine responded though she wasn't sure if the pixie heard her over the sounds of cannons firing
The moment she broke out onto the deck, the sounds of cannon fire grew ten times louder. Lumine put a hand over her face to shade her eyes from the setting sun. Its rays were doing a fiery dance in the sky and the ocean looked like it ran red with the blood of the fallen combatants.
A whistling sound overhead caused her to look up. Amber and a girl decked in purple were in a fighting top, raining Pyro and Electro arrows down on the other ships.
"Noelle, can you launch us over to that ship?"
Lumine whipped her head around. She knew that name.
A short boy with pale-ash grey hair and a litter of bandages on him was standing next to a taller boy with long, unruly gray hair. In front of them was an upright, confident girl in armor.
Noelle, Lumine thought.
"Leave it to me, Bennett! Razor, please hold him until landing so nothing happens to him."
The taller boy nodded and scooped up the shorter one. A platform of Geo appeared behind Noelle the boys jumped on it.
"Hold on!" she said, before twirling in a circle and flinging the platform towards one of the enemy ships.
The moment it left Noelle's orbit, Lumine ran over to the girl.
"Noelle, what are you doing here?" she asked
"Oh! Honorary Knight! Please do not be alarmed, I will explain everything to you later. Now is not the time." Noelle said, hand over her heart.
"Right, of course----ack!" Noelle spun Lumine behind her and a shield of Geo appeared at the side of the ship, blocking a barrage of cannonballs.
"Please wait below deck, Ms. Lumine. It will be safer there." Noelle said, rushing off to deflect more cannonballs.
"Ugh, Paimon, find someplace to--- Paimon! Why did you bring my bag up here?"
"P-Paimon's sorry! Paimon doesn't know why Paimon grabbed it either..."
Lumine facepalmed. "Just go over there," she sighed, pointing to some boxes.
As Paimon zipped away, Lumine clambered up onto the quarter deck. Kaeya was standing a short distance away from her giving orders to a girl with dark hair and a floppy blue hat. The girl was neutralizing the elemental attacks from the other ships with large orbs of water.
'I can do that too,' Lumine thought, turning her gaze to the next batch of attacks.
Summoning the power of Anemo, she grabbed as many cannonballs as she could and reversed their course.
'Is it just me, or are we getting closer?' she thought as she reversed another set of cannonballs.
"Captain Kaeya, don't target that ship on the left! Razor and Bennett are aboard!" Noelle's voice rang out above the chaos.
Lumine glimpsed in the direction Noelle's voice came from before watching Kaeya. During the brief moment their eyes met, he sent her a flirty smirk.
She abruptly turned away and refocused on the cannons. It was no time to get distracted--- what was that sound? A large object suddenly flew by her head and pierced through one of the enemy ships. When it landed, she realized it was a spear of ice.
At the corner of her eye, she just saw Kaeya with his hands raised. The ice spear forming in his hands was thrown seconds after she noticed it.
"Rosaria, get us closer!" he shouted
Lumine finally noticed Rosaria at the ship's wheel, furiously steering the ship to keep them from getting hit.
"We're good here!" she shouted back, dropping down beside him on the deck.
They put their hands together and raised them over their heads. Lumine eyes strayed to the other ships. A large chunk of ice emerged from the sea and pierced straight through the hull of a ship.
'Wow,' Lumine thought, 'What amazing power.'
Thanks to the two Cryo wielders, two of the ships sunk without further problems. The third was blown up in a reaction that Lumine could only attribute to elemental power.
A blonde girl dropped down onto the deck and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Over her shoulder was a bow. "I have perceived that those fortunate few thou appointed to demolish those retched and lost scourges doth return, and with them, they bear the few souls of the mortals who abandoned the principles and values that I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, do uphold and deem as dearest. As such, I cannot permit myself to be in their presence lest their heretical nature taints the nobleness and purity of my character and shall return to the humble quarters I have assigned to myself for the betterment and well-being of my subjects."
Lumine blinked and shared a look with Paimon. What did that girl just say?
The girl placed a hand over her left eye and a flash of purple light appeared from under the bangs that covered her right one. "Fear not for thy life, for those strayed, wicked souls are inclined to sentence themselves to their own demise than harm thee."
Kaeya smiled. "Thank you, Fischl, you may go."
Fischl dipped her head and sashayed away. A dark purple bird appeared in a spark of lightning next to her.
'I-Is she talking to that bird? A-And the bird's responding?' she thought before shaking her head, 'Never mind. Perhaps that's just how it is in Teyvat.'
The girl in the blue hat, whose name she learned was Mona, lifted a rowboat out of the water and onto the ship. The two boys Noelle had flung off the ship dragged three men out of the rowboat and onto the deck. The first man looked old with graying hair and a thin face and the second looked... familiar, though she couldn't remember where she saw him before. The last one looked like he was more boy than man--- his face still held the roundness of youth and his eyes were round and innocent in their shape.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" Kaeya purred, "I was in such a good mood earlier but it turns out my treasure was nothing more than you pathetic frauds."
Lumine's eyes widened. Kaeya's voice was and body language was relaxed and almost flirtatious but his eyes were colder than the element he wielded. The faces of the men were ashen and hollowed; death reflected in their eyes.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to chop off those pretty little heads of yours to ease my sorrows." The man unsheathed a sword from a scabbard Lumine didn't notice.
He's actually going to kill them!
Lumine only took one step when her attention was drawn to a loud bird cry from above. A beautiful bird with shining onyx feathers glided down. Kaeya held out an arm and the bird perched gracefully. A tiny bag was on its leg.
He sheathed his sword and pulled a scrap of paper from the bag, scanning over it.
"What a surprising turn of events, you lucky dogs." he laughed. He titled his head casually at one of the men. "I saw your brother in the city. I'll give you credit for coming to battle me instead of following after him as it looks like his cowardice caught up to him, anyway."
He threw the bag at the men's feet and a bloodied ring rolled out.
After a few moments of silence, Rosaria stepped forward. "What do you want to do with them, captain?"
"Let them live this time." he murmured, gently petting the bird, "Dead men tell no tales after all."
The callous look in his eye gave Lumine an uneasy feeling. 'I can't believe this is how he's really like,' she thought, remembering the events in the alley where they first met.
Rosaria nodded and easily manhandled the three men back into the rowboat. Mona's catalyst opened with a snap and a swirl of water threw the boat back into the sea.
Her shoulders dropped only relaxed in relief when the boat was a significant distance away from the ship.
"Rosaria, how many knights does it take to fight a Hydro skirmisher?" Kaeya suddenly asked
The woman tilted her head. "Three is most effective in combatting their elemental shield and healing capabilities." the woman responded
"How many men does it take to hang a lamp on a ceiling in the center of the room without a stool or ladder?"
"Two."
Kaeya pressed a feather-light kiss to the top of his bird's head. His next words were barely louder than a whisper.
"And how many men does it take to tell a story?"
"One."
Lumine darted forward as soon as the words clicked but two icicles flew out of the man's hand at a frightening speed. She could only watch in horror as they hurtled towards the boat. Two of the figures on the boat slumped over and were promptly pushed overboard.
"W-What are you doing?!" Lumine gasped, turning to Kaeya.
He shrugged nonchalantly and the bird on his shoulder squawked indignantly at being moved.
"Why are you angry? They weren't good men. Besides, the boy is an orphan they kidnapped from Mondstadt two weeks ago. It'll be better for him to row back to the city than for me to tow him around."
"Are you kidding me?! It took us all day to sail out here--- there's no way he'll make it back to the city before he dies of dehydration or hunger!" she shouted
Kaeya rolled his eyes. "If it bothers you so much..." he grumbled, pulling a scrap of paper out from a pants pocket. He beckoned the short, grey-haired boy over to him and spun a finger in a circle. The boy quickly turned so his back was to the captain and he scribbled something on the paper.
"Take this to Fischl and have Oz fly it back to Mondstadt." he sighed.
"You can count on me!" the boy saluted before running off.
Lumine crossed her arms and glared at the blue-haired man.
"What more do you want from me?" he asked, finally sounding exasperated. "Bennett and Razor already ensured there were supplies in the boat, he'll be fine."
She tapped her foot impatiently, a pout prominent on her face.
"By the Archons, women," he bemoaned, "What, do you want me to send Jade to keep him company too?"
She glanced at the bird on his shoulder before nodding.
"Rob me of all my animals, why don't you," Kaeya grumbled, lifting his arm in the air. The bird alighted off his shoulder and flew towards the shrinking rowboat. "Happy?"
Lumine beamed brightly at him. "Very! And by the way, I---"
"Sir Kaeya! Is it over? The ship stopped shaking." a short girl with blonde hair ran up to Kaeya.
Lumine gasped. "Barbara?!"
"Oh, Honorary Knight! What are you doing here?"
"K---Sir Kaeya offered to take me to Liyue," Lumine stuttered
Paimon, who was hiding behind her back the entire time, darted in front of her. "What are you doing here, Barbara?! And what's Noelle doing here?! Aren't you guys knights? Shouldn't you be... erm... arresting pirates?"
Barbara made a confused sound. "I'm here because I'm going to be doing some concerts in Liyue. I feel bad that everyone's been separated by the storm so I want to bring some cheer to everyone! And what do you mean by pirates? Sir Kaeya is a knight of the Ordo Favonius."
"WHAT?! " Paimon screamed, flailing about wildly
Lumine coughed into her hand. Admittedly, she was rather surprised, too. "Um, who's this?" she asked, nodding at the short brunette standing next to Barbara.
The deaconess beamed and placed a hand over her heart. "This is Ellin. She generously offered to be my personal guard while I'm traveling."
Ellin laughed nervously. "You flatter me, Miss Barbara. I'm not even a knight, I'm only training to be one. And really I'm just shadowing your real personal guards."
Lumine tilted her head. She assumed Ellin meant Noelle and Kaeya, the only two knights she knew who was on the ship.
"Hold on, hold on, Paimon thinks everyone is getting off the real thing we should be focusing on. That man isn't a real pirate?! He even has an eyepatch and everything! On the ride over to the ship he told Paimon he inherited it from his grandfather!" the pixie stomped in the air, emphasizing her point.
She glanced at the man in question who looked seconds away from laughing.
"Honestly, Sir Kaeya is actually one of the few captains of the Ordo Favonius," Barbara admitted
"I think they know enough, for now, Barbara." Kaeya smiled
Paimon shook her head. "No! Paimon wants to know what he's the captain of!"
"The cavalry," Barbara answered innocently, "But since Grandmaster Varka took the calvary on an expedition, Sir Kaeya has been sailing on the ship Master Diluc got him since. Even though the Ordo Favonius has a navy captain, Sir Kaeya has been doing a much more thorough job patrolling the waters."
"Eh?! He has no cavalry?!" Paimon shouted. The crew that was on the deck burst into quiet giggles at Paimon's reaction.
Lumine snatched her bag from Paimon and yanked the bottles of wine. It was a bit tricky pulling from her domain in such an enclosed space, but she'd rather go through with it than pulling the bottles out from thin air during such an awkward situation.
"Here!" she blurted, handing them over to the captain, "This is what made me late. And here's the paper flower."
Kaeya pouted as he accepted the gifts. "Death After Noon: you're the only one who gets me, Ms. Lumine. I'll have to find a good way to thank you."
Lumine ducked her head, the tips of her ears flushing as his coquettish voice washed over her like a rolling purr.
"And I hate all of you except Ms. Lumine. If anyone needs me, and by that, I mean Ms. Lumine, the only person who's nice to me, I'll be in my cabin drowning my sorrows."
And with that, Kaeya descended below deck.
"Heh, now I see why he took a liking to you. It's not just the fact that you're his type." Rosaria smirked
The flush on her ears spread to the rest of her face. "So he's the cavalry captain as well? Has he ever led the cavalry into battle?"
"OOO! I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT A TIME HE LED THE CAVALRY TO RESCUE ME!"
"No, I'll tell a story about Captain Kaeya! After all, he's one of the people I look up to as an example of an outstanding knight!"
"I want to tell a story about the time he was a jerk and turned down a bunch of really nice girls in a not nice way!"
~♡~
The sun was well into the sky when Lumine set foot on Liyue Harbor's dock. The breeze brought the smell of foreign goods and the sounds of bartering and bustling life.
"This is where we part ways, Lumine. Please come and see one of my concerts before you and Aether travel again!" Barbara pleaded, grasping Lumine's hands in her own.
"Of course, Barbara! We wouldn't miss it for the world." Lumine responded
Barbara smiled brightly. "That makes me so happy! Okay, let's go to the Yujing Terrace! I still can't believe the Qixing moved me from the Baiju Guesthouse to stay there!"
Barbara ran off with Noelle and Ellin in tow while Kaeya stayed by her side.
"It was a pleasure having you on board, Ms. Lumine. Please don't be a stranger," he said
Lumine nodded. "Likewise. I would like to introduce you to my brother."
"Of course. And... if I may make a request, please come find me before you leave Liyue if you go off before I do."
"Only if you promise to do the same."
He smiled softly. "It would be my pleasure,"
Kaeya grabbed her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Till we meet again, Ms. Lumine."
She raised a stiff hand and waved, ears burning.
"Hey, your ears are red!"
"I think I saw some slimes on our way here. I wonder if they eat Paimon..."
"S-Sorry!"