Warning: I'm not responsible for any brain damage caused by this story o_0 :P
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"This is so hopeless" you murmured, trudging through the scorching Sumeru desert as the hot sand burned your feet and the sun practically seared your back.
Matriarch Babel had sent you out on a mission to find food and you took it lightly, swearing that you'd be back in half an hour.
Oh, how you regretted it. It had been over two hours since you left and if you stayed any longer, you were sure the sun would cook you and you'd become the food. Your throat was parched and you were close to fainting yet you still kept going on.
Whatever the Matriarch ordered you to do, you would follow through w
ith it. She was the one who had saved your life after all, when she found you abandoned as a baby on the verge of death. It was only through her teachings to be as merciless as the desert that you were able to survive until today. With sheer dedication to her lessons, you quickly became one of the best fighters in your clan. If she saw you struggling like this right now, you knew her disappointment would be immeasurable.
You blinked the sand out of your eyes and scanned the desert, looking for any signs of life. But the only thing you saw were some tumbleweeds rolling by in the distance.
Suddenly, you heard a scream coming from the other direction. You turned and listened carefully, wondering if it was an animal or if the heat had just made you imagine it.
Either way, there was nothing left where you were, so you ran towards the noise.
As you got closer to the cries, you saw a couple of eremites surrounding something. You scoffed at the sight of the eremites - they were part of an enemy clan and you wondered which poor soul they were torturing this time.
You started stretching, getting ready to fight. As you got nearer, you saw a man with blonde hair standing in the middle of the eremites. He was dressed in unusual attire and you immediately guessed he was from the city from the way he spoke.
"Wait wait wait guys, surely we can work something out, right?" He said, nervously trying to negotiate with the eremites as they towered over him. "There's no need for violen-"
Before he could finish his sentence, one of the eremites punched the man square in the jaw and you flinched from just watching. You were about to turn around and go back to the settlement - after all, this was none of your business. Matriarch Babel had taught you not to go poking around in other people's matters and ignore anything else that got in your way.
But before you could walk away, you heard someone call your name and you turned around with disgust at the thought of your name coming from one of those brute's lips.
"Didn't think I'd see you in our territory, Y/N," one of them sneered. "What else can we expect from one of Babel's filthy rats - always scurrying where they don't belong...bound to get themselves killed one day," he said, tracing the tip of his sword with his finger before pointing it at you.
Rage started bubbling inside of you but you played it off with a smirk. You could take these guys in a heartbeat, they weren't worth your time.
You ignored their calls, only listening to the Matriarchs' teachings as they echoed through your head.
'The weakest dogs bark the loudest'
Besides, it was getting late and you didn't have any more time to waste. You were about to walk the other way when you caught a glimpse of the blonde man in the middle - his eyes conveying a desperate plea for help. You tried to shake it off but there was just something about his deep, red eyes that didn't let you move on.
You knew the Matriarch would be disappointed in you right now. The one thing she always told you from a young age was that empathy could get you killed in the desert.
You sighed, looking at the man once more before turning to face the eremites as you pulled out your dagger with a smirk.
You didn't even have to say a word - they all came running towards you with their swords raised. You effortlessly dodged all of their attacks, disappointed that you couldn't feel the exhilarating thrill of having a real fight.
You sighed as you kicked the sword out of the eremites hands, catching it after it flew through the air. You swiftly used the hilt of his sword to hit him clean on the back of his head. He yelled in pain before falling face first into the sand, unconscious. You merely glared at the other two and that was all it took for them to run the other way.
"Amateurs..." you shook your head, admiring the eremites sword in your hand. You might just keep it for yourself.
The sun was beginning to set and you swore, realizing how late it had gotten. You started running back but were stopped by the man as he called out to you.
"Wait...!"
You skeptically turned back, examining the man properly from head to toe as he came towards you. Silk shirt, black leggings, long, blonde hair. He was one of those pretty city boys you had only heard stories of from other clan members.
"Thank you!" he said, finally catching up to you. "Really, is there any way I can repay you?"
You just shook your head, continuing to take in the man's appearance. His skin was fair and smooth, there wasn't a single battle scar or cut on his body. The Matriarch's warnings about city folk wasting your time echoed through your head.
"Then, may I at least know your name, miss?" he asked, with the most gentle smile you had ever seen in the desert.
You hesitate for a moment, wondering if you could really trust this strangely dressed man with your name. Ignoring all the warnings of caution your brain was throwing at you, you decided to take the risk for once.
"It's-"
Before you could tell him, you heard shouts in the distance and turned to see a group of people running towards you. From the way they dressed, you could tell they were also city folk, most probably associated with the man you just saved.
"Oh thank the archons you're okay!!" they yelled, getting closer. You quickly tried and ran back to the settlement before any of them saw your face.
"Wait, miss...!"
But you were already long gone.
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You finally made it back to the settlement, just about ready to collapse. You internally groaned after remembering you hadn't gotten the food either - you didn't know how you were going to face the Matriarch.
"Took you long enough,"
You looked up to see a tall, well built eremite making his way towards you with some water in his hands.
"Thought you died out there, I was worried the Matriarch would make me go out and find your body,"
You grabbed the water from him and chugged all of it at once, your body practically cried in relief receiving sustenance after the torture you put it through.
"There's no way I'll get killed before you, Azrul," you said, playfully punching him in the arm. "But I might really die once the Matriarch finds out I came back with nothing," you said, shuddering at what she might do.
"I'm always cleaning up after your messes, Y/N," Azrul said, grinning as he held up a large, lifeless bird.
You heaved a sigh of relief and grinned back at Azrul. "I owe you one," you said, glad that your life would be spared as you headed towards the Matriarchs grand tent.
"You owe me way more than one," Azrul called out, following you.
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You pushed aside the curtain and stepped into the tent, Azrul following close behind.
"I've returned with the food, Matriarch Babel," you informed a lady with unmistakable pink hair, who was sitting on a lush cushion. Her eyes were covered with silk that had your clan's unmistakable symbol engraved on it in gold.
"Azrul helped again, I see," she said, immediately seeing straight through your lie.
You looked away sheepishly.
"You may go, Azrul," she said, and Azrul swiftly left the tent, leaving you alone with her.
"I'm very sorry, Matriarch. I've failed you," you said, your head hanging in shame.
"Don't be sorry dear, I trained you to be a fighter after all, not a scavenger," she chuckled. "Speaking of fighting, I have a new mission for you,"
Your ears perked up at her words and you looked at her eagerly.
"It's a bit different from the usual, but I know you'll do well. Your job is to protect a man from Sumeru city. His name is Kaveh, and he is well known throughout Teyvat for his contributions to architecture. He's also payed quite the pretty penny for our services," she said, walking towards you. "I can count on you, right?"
You stood up straight with a serious expression. "Of course, Matriarch Babel. I won't mess up again,"
She chuckled in response. "Very well, go pack and get some rest, you leave tomorrow,"
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You had heard that Sumeru city was a pretty but city but you hadn't expected it to be this busy.
You were supposed to go to a place called The Akademiya but there were so many stalls and people that you felt a bit overwhelmed at it all. The desert was so different from this...
Trying your best not to get lost in the crowd, you made your way through the streets, becoming increasingly aware of the citizens stares at you.
You were dressed like usual - which was unusual for these people. It was hard not to feel conscious but you had a mission and were determined not to let the Matriarch down. Ignoring their whispers and stares, you continued on.
After walking for a while, you made your way into a large building that was lined with shelves and shelves of books that reached the ceiling. You craned your neck trying to take all of it in.
You felt someone tap your shoulder and nearly jumped, becoming alert. You turned to see it was just a young girl who had gotten your attention and relaxed, apologizing. You were used to being on edge in the desert.
"Is there something you need, miss? I noticed you looked a bit...lost," she said.
You didn't know it was that obvious and felt a bit embarrassed. "Ah...yes, I'm trying to go to the Akademiya, do you know where that is?" you asked.
She beamed in response. "This is the Akademiya!"
"Oh...thank you. Then, do you know where a man named Kaveh is?" you asked, hoping she'd have directions for that as well.
At this, there was a collective gasp around the room. The girl in front of you covered her mouth in shock. All the students in the room were now looking at you after you had mentioned this mysterious man's name. There were hushed whispers around the room
You looked at her confused. "Sorry, did I misspeak...?"
"No, it's just that Kaveh is one of the most respected people in the Akademiya. His designs are known all over Teyvat! All of us here at Kshahrewar can only hope to be like him!" she explained.
You got goosebumps at this.
'Wow he really is famous...I need to do well on the mission then,' you thought with a new found resolve.
The girl pointed at some stairs next to you. "His room is up there...but he may not let you in...He's a very busy person after all,"
You nodded and thanked the girl for her help, slowly heading up the stairs. You took a deep breath before knocking on the door, only to be met with no response. You adjusted your dress before slowly opening the door.
'Huh? There is no one here....' you thought, looking around. 'Hm, maybe Mr. Kaveh is working outside...I'll just wait inside until he comes back then,'
As soon as you entered the room, you almost jumped at the sight of a body sprawled across the floor. There was a man with blonde hair lying face down on the floor, his arms and legs spread out across the floor. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath, it sounded like a stream of complaints.
"Who does that guy think he is? So what if I work on my projects until 2 am?? He can't kick me out of the house. The audacity of that guy is unbelievable!!"
You cleared your throat, awkwardly making your presence known. At your noise, the man immediately jumped up and looked at you.
"I thought I told no one to interrupt me-" At the sight of you, he stopped and his face shifted into one of confusion. Yours did as well.
- x -
Hope you guys will enjoy this story lol
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