A young feminine figure who looked around the age of 10 moved from one side of the misty parlor to another side. The Traveler looked into the distance and saw the same girl come to a stop then began to walk again at a steady pace, just not in the same direction as the young figure was originally moving. the young feminine figure came closer, but still unrecognizable. The feminine figure looked like it took a step back, as it took off their hat. "Oh hello there, I'm not sure if you are aware, but it's rather late, probably around 01:30 am. You should probably leave until a little later." The voice said, as it was a young female. She sounded like she had no experience talking to others. It was clear that this young girl did not have any skills for communication or socializing with others, which made her seem even more out of place. The traveler went up to the young girl, who looked scared to see the traveler this close to her, before the girl began to run west into the mist.
"Hey wait!" The traveler shouted out. Her voice echoed through the night air as she ran. Eventually she stopped running and turned around to face the traveler. The young girl stood in front of the traveler, she looked tired and exhausted. "I'm deeply sorry, but can you stop following me? i honestly don't like it. If you need directions to go somewhere, I'll gladly take you there, I just really don't wanna be followed. I guess you could say it's my way of being safe." The young girl said apologetically.
The traveler thought about it for a moment, but ultimately decided to follow her. "If you want me to stop following you, I will. But may you give me the location to liyue harbor from here?" The traveler said, and the young girl nodded.
A few minutes began to pass, as the young girl began to say, "My name is Hu Tao, and I stay in the Wangsheng Parlor. What is your reason for being here?" The young girl asked politely. "I've been traveling for several days now, on my way to Liyue harbor. I heard that it's possible to get there from here, so I tried looking for someone to show me the way, but everyone has already left the area, and all that's left was to rome around to find a place. I got lost in the process, which led me here." The traveler explained.
Hu Tao tilted her head slightly, "So you're going to Liyue Harbor? That's quite far away from here. It would take about two full days to get there, depending on how long you can survive." The young girl spoke, and the traveler nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help you get there quicker?" Hu Tao asked. The traveler shook her head. "I'm fine, but thank you anyway." Hu Tao smiled. "Well, what about staying over at my place for the night? I don't mind, we can talk while I make food. We'll have breakfast together tomorrow morning, if you'd like." The traveler nodded as they went out of the mist into a small town. "We're here, I know it's pretty late, but it's the only place open right now." The young girl said, as the traveler walked inside the building. The traveler followed behind her. "Young child, this place is beautiful! I haven't seen a place like this before!" The traveler spoke. "its a place my grandfather showed me. I'm glad you like it. now please sit down." The young girl began to mumble the last few words, but understandable to what she said.
A few minutes passed before Hu Tao came from the kitchen. "Here you go! I hope you enjoy it!" The young girl placed the plate of Almond Tofu. "Hu Tao this is appetizing! Where did you learn to cook like this?" The traveler said, as Hu Tao sat down at the table.
Hu Tao smiled, "No need to worry about that, My grandfather taught me everything i needed to know when I was younger. However, I never got your name, what is it if you don't mind me asking?" The traveler began to reply, "my name is the Traveler, and it's an honor to meet you!"
The young girl was stunned, "Traveler?!" The young girl's eyes opened wide in shock. "You mean the person who helped save Monstadt? That's amazing! I never thought I'd see a hero before!" Hu Tao went on to explain to the traveler what happened. "Yes, that's right. It's nice to meet you too, though I'm afraid I might be a little shy at times." The traveler smiled. "It's okay, I understand completely. So, how did you end up coming here? I heard about what happened, I'm so happy that you're safe." The Traveler began to tell her story.
After hearing the whole story, Hu Tao was amazed. "So you traveled all the way here because of you. How sweet, I wish I had someone like that. You must care about that person very much!" Hu Tao replied, as the traveler smiled. "Yes, I do, but unfortunately I will never know when I wil meet that dear friend again nor my brother, which makes me rather sad. But I'm still hoping that maybe someday I will meet him again." The traveler explained. "That is always a possibility. That is why I wanted to come here, I felt that if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I have faith, and I believe that he is alive, even if it's just a little bit." Hu Tao agreed. "There is also something else I want to ask you, is there anyone who is currently looking for you?" The traveler shook her head. "No, I haven't had contact with anyone for a while. I don't know where they are right now. All I know is that the last time I heard from them, they were in Liyue harbor. I'm just going along with my gut feeling, and trying to trust that everything will turn out alright in the end." The traveler explained.
Hu Tao thought about it for a moment, "I know a boy, who might be able to help you. His name is Li Keng. I think you two would get along very well." The traveler nodded. "I'm willing to meet anyone who can help me, so please lead the way." Hu Tao smiled. "I will bring you to them sometime. but for now, get some rest traveler."
A few mintues passed. The young girl brought the traveler to a large building. It was a fairly big house, with several bedrooms. Hu Tao took the traveler to a room that was right next to hers. "This is where I sleep. I can't really stand to travel anymore, so I usually stay here during the day. When I wake up, I'll start preparing breakfast. Please feel free to use the bathroom and do whatever you may wish. I'll be waiting here in the living room until you return." The traveler nodded and went to the bathroom. After washing her face, she returned to her room, and laid down on the bed. She fell asleep shortly after.
The Traveler awoke early in the morning. She quickly got dressed, and went downstairs. She entered the kitchen to find Hu Tao making food. "Good morning traveler, I hope you slept well. I'm sorry I woke you up so early, I've been preparing breakfast for you." Hu Tao said, as the traveler put a hand on her cheek. "Thank you for everything last night. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like without your help. Thank you for taking me here." The traveler explained, as Hu Tao began to lean into a hug. "Don't mention it, I'm just happy to help. Also, you should eat first before you go, otherwise you won't have enough energy to keep up with your hard work." Hu Tao said. The traveler looked at the food on the table "oh god, this looks delicious!"
The Traveler began to shovel the food down. Within 30 mintues, the traveler was finished eating. "Are you ready to leave?" Hu Tao asked. The traveler nodded. "Yes, I'm ready." The traveler replied. The young girl lead the traveler outside and towards a small forest, on the other side of a hill. "If you climb over this hill, you will arrive at Liyue harbor in a couple of hours, depending on your speed." The young girl explained, as they walked past the forest. "I'll be waiting here until you return, then we can discuss your plans for the future. Goodbye for now, dear traveler! May they Geo Archon be with you!" Hu Tao said, as the traveler began to ascend the hill.
It was a warm day. The sun shined brightly in the sky, as clouds slowly drifted by overhead. The traveler began to climb the hill, but soon came to a stop. She wasn't sure how to proceed forward. She could hear voices ahead. A few seconds later, she saw someone walking down the road. "Excuse me, are you lost?" The voice called out, as the traveler looked up to see a young man with blue hair transitioning into black hair. "Oh no, I'm not lost. Do you happen to know how I can get to liyue harbor?" The traveler asked.
The young man seemed surprised for a moment, "Wow, I thought I was the one who lost something. But if you aren't lost, then you don't need my help. No harm done." The young man answered, as the traveler sighed in relief. "Thanks for your help. But if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" The traveler asked curiously, as the young man sighed.
"My name is Xiao " The young man said. "I'm the traveler." The traveler responded. "Well, you can call me Xiao but I'm sure you already knew that." The young man started to walk away, "you're welcome. Now please continue on your way to liyue harbor. If you need any other help, just remember to look for the person with blue hair."
The young man walked off, leaving the traveler behind. She began to walk back down the hill, until she noticed something. "I wonder if I should pay him a visit..." The traveler thought to herself. "Should I or not? He didn't seem to be interested in helping me... but what if he could really help me?" The traveler began to question herself, as she came to a decision. "He may not be able to help me, but it doesn't hurt to try." The traveler began to follow after the young man, but stopped when she noticed him looking around suspiciously. "Did he see me?" The traveler thought to herself. "That's strange, I thought I was careful." The traveler began to worry, as she approached him.
"Young child, I know you're following me, but I'm a little busy right now, so please leave me alone." The young man said, as the traveler began to panic. "Ah, it's okay. I will let you pass. Just make sure to stay away from me." The young man said, as the traveler walked off.
She continued to continue going the opposite way, trying to find the harbor. After about three hours, the traveler arrived at Liyue harbor. She stood in front of the harbor, looking around the area. She was confused by what she saw. There were people everywhere; They were selling merchandise and doing business transactions. Many ships were docked next to each other, and there were also a lot of people working on the ships. Several people were fishing in the water, while others were cleaning fish. The traveler looked at the boats. "This place is so huge. Where do I begin?" The traveler wondered.
She decided to start her search by locating a ship that was headed towards Monstadt. She ran across a group of men wearing uniforms, who were waving their arms. "Hey! Excuse me, do you know how I can get to a ship heading towards Monstadt?" The traveler asked them, as they looked at her suspiciously. "Who are you? Why are you asking us?"
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