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Bubbling Excitement
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"Huh? Greater Lord Rukkhadevata? Oh, is that the name of the former Dendro Archon?" Paimon questioned in realization.
Collei nodded her head. "Uh-huh. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was Sumeru's first Dendro Archon. She created the rainforests as well as the Wall of Samiel around the desert. Her works provided a means of peaceful living for everyone. To the people of Sumeru, she is not a symbol of wisdom but also power and kindness. Unfortunately, she disappeared with Asmodeus in a great calamity that occurred a few hundred years ago," she explained.
'Does it coincide with Khaenri'ah...? And that name... Ei also called (Y/n) "Asmodeus", I wonder if (Y/n) has some type of relationship with that person?' Aether mused.
"According to what Master has told me, the sages later found the newly born Dendro Archon and whisked her back to Sumeru. To celebrate the reinstatement of their lost deity, the sages dubbed her "Lesser Lord Kusanali" and let her reside in the Sanctuary of Surasthana," Collei states.
"Uh-huh, then what happened?" Paimon asked.
"Well, and then... uh... I'm not too sure what happened, to be honest," Collei replied.
"Huh? You're not too sure? But aren't you from Sumeru?" Paimon asked.
'Where the hell is Xiao? Is he still inside that damn teapot? Fucking hell.' (F/n) thought.
"Yeah, I'm from Sumeru, but..." Collei trailed off.
(F/n) quickly sent a glare toward Paimon, causing the said girl to shiver and give an apologetic look.
"Maybe it's difficult to discuss this topic with strangers... If that's the case, then don't worry, we understand," Paimon said in an apologetic tone.
Collei shook her head. "No, no, it's not that. I'm not trying to hide something from you. Besides, I don't consider you three and (Y/n) strangers. Anyway, y–you two know Amber, right?"
"Wait, Amber? You mean–" Paimon began.
"Amber, Outrider of the Knights of Favonius?" Aether finished.
Collei's eyes brightened. "Yes, that's her! I once lived in Mondstadt for a while, and she helped me a lot during that time. You could even say she helped me become a new person. There's no one like Amber! She lives life to the fullest while always adhering to her strong sense of justice. She's ready to answer the call for action at any moment but is also very understanding of others. She's like the spark that lights the fire in everyone's heart around her," she states.
(F/n), Aether and Paimon shared a look before looking back at the greenette before them.
"If you ask me, she's a prime example of a true Outrider. She's the first person anyone coming to Mondstadt will meet. You can't help but be enthralled by her charm and enthusiasm, causing you to fall in love with the lands of Mondstadt, and..." Collei trailed off before noticing the looks being given to her.
She giggled nervously. "Uhh, hehe... Sorry..." She apologized.
"Wow, we've never seen this side of you, Collei..." Aether lightly teased.
"Huh, Paimon thought the work of Outriders was a little different from what you just described, but one thing's for sure wasn't... you really like Amber," Paimon piped in.
"Uh, hehe, s–sorry... I was rambling on just now. It must have sounded kinda weird," Collei replied.
(F/n) gave a confused look, tilting their head to the side. 'Huh? How was that weird? It was kinda cute...' They thought.
Paimon smiled. "Hehe, it's alright, Collei. Knowing that you're a friend of Amber somehow makes Paimon suddenly feel a lot closer to you. So, how did you know that we've met Amber?" She asked.
"Well, after I returned to Sumeru, Amber and I have stayed in touch by writing each other letters. In one letter, she mentioned that Mondstadt was attacked by a fearsome dragon, but the city was saved by a mysterious blonde traveler and their floating companion, along with a mysterious (H/c)-haired figure. I knew you three were the ones she mentioned in the letter the moment I saw you. But, uh, considering everything you'd been through that day, I thought it'd be inappropriate to bring it up..." Collei answered.
'Mmh...? Isn't that when Lumine handed over a packet of papers to (Y/n)? Or whatever that one letter he sent me said?' (F/n) wondered.
"Ah, so that's how you knew!" Paimon exclaimed.
Collei nodded her head. "Yep! So please know that you four have my complete trust. I wish I could tell you more about the Dendro Archon, but I had been away from Sumeru for some time, and I haven't read any books... Sorry," she apologized.
Paimon waved her hands. "That's alright! You've already helped us a lot, we had never heard of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or the Sanctuary of Surasthana until you mentioned them," she reassured.
Collei gave a smile of relief. "Oh, I'm happy that was helpful. There is one thing I want to ask, though... Why do you three want to know about the Dendro Archon?" She asked.
Aether explained his purpose in simple terms of why he was looking for the Dendro Archon.
Collei held a chin up to her face, nodding her head in understanding. "So that's why you're here. Thank you for telling me your story," she replied.
"Don't mention it! We're friends after all, right?" Paimon chirped.
Aether nodded his head in agreement. "Paimon's right, we're friends."
(F/n) watched as a flock of birds fly overhead, capturing their attention.
"Hehe! Alright, we have a statue to clean!" Paimon beamed.
"You both have my thanks! While you two are up there cleaning, (F/n) and I will go ahead and inspect the forest canopy. Let's meet back here shortly," Collei states.
With nods of heads, the group went their separate ways.
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(F/n) placed their hands behind their back, their ears twitching at every sound that they could hear.
"Hey, Collei?" They finally piped up.
"Hm?" Collei questioned in confusion.
"Do you know anything about Asmodeus?" (F/n) asked.
Collei looked at the ombre bluenette with a thoughtful look on her face. "I know very little of Asmodeus... I would say ask Master since he's uhm... Hehe," she nervously laughed.
(F/n) raised a brow. "Is Tighnari crushing on a dead man?" They question, pretending that they didn't know that (Y/n) was Asmodeus.
Collei squeaked and quickly turned away. "I guess you could say that," she answered.
(F/n) snickered. "That's something new... but I can't blame him," they replied.
Collei ran a thumb over a single leaf, her eyes softening. "I used to read stories about a spirit that followed him. They were killed around the same time as Asmodeus... I think they were killed by either an illness or by one of the Archons," she retorted.
(F/n) raised a brow. "A spirit?" They question.
Collei's eyes brightened as she nodded her head. "Yep! A two-tailed cat spirit more importantly."
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