Chapter Text
-Arc I: The Star and the Dragon-
Part I. Amber Will o' The Wisp
“Uwaaaah~!” Paimon’s yawns filled the tent as the dawn started to brighten the skies. Her shrill yawn woke Lumine up very unceremoniously, as she shot up to look around for any Hilichurls or slimes that invaded their campsite.
Finding none, she decided to look for her pan to knock Paimon out. But her pan was gone.
She didn’t have any.
Sighing, she clambered out of the tent and greeted the morning sun with a healthy stretch. They had camped for the night near Stone Gate, after clearing the area of slimes and any flowers that would attract monsters.
They were on their way to their next stop, Liyue: The Land of Geo.
“Paimon…can you please not yawn like you’re screaming?” Lumine sighed and turned towards her floating friend.
“It’s not Paimon’s fault! Paimon was cramped!” Paimon huffed and floated round and round, making Lumine slightly dizzy. “Anyway,” Lumine climbed back into the tent to fetch two washcloths, and chucked one towards Paimon. “Wash up and we’ll have breakfast.”
“What do we have for breakfast?” Paimon floated towards the banks of the lake, and dipped her hands in the icy waters.
“Pile em’ up” Lumine splashed her face with water, erasing any traces of early morning grogginess.
“woohoo~ Pile ‘em up~” Paimon hummed excitedly as she doused her face with cool water, and hurried back to the tent. Lumine followed in a few moments, after plucking a few leaves of mint for her inventory.
“Why are we heading for Liyue, again?” Paimon sat on a tuft of grass, eagerly waiting for Lumine to unwrap her share of the delectable treat. “Venti recommended that we go and attend the Rite of Descension in the city, and meet the Geo Archon for ourselves.” Lumine replied while unwrapping the parcels. “Aha!” Paimon snatched the half-opened packet from Lumine’s hands and proceeded to munch down on her meal.
“Did you know, by the way, that the current Geo Archon is the first and the oldest among the Seven? He and the Tone-Deaf Bard are the only original Archons left alive.” Paimon munched on the treat, and thought of sharing little tidbits of what she knew about Liyue.
“Hmm, so he has held on to his position for two thousand years?”
“Yeah! But he is actually over six thousand years old!”
“I see.” Lumine pondered. “No wonder Venti told us to meet him. With his long life, he is bound to have seen and known many things.”
“Say, Paimon.” Lumine glanced at the eager fairy who had now sneakily helped herself to a part of her breakfast. “If Venti’s Archon name is Barbatos, what is the Geo Archon’s name?”
“About that-” Paimon eagerly stuffed her mouth with generous portions “-They do not call the Geo Archon-” she gobbled a particularly large piece. “-by his true name in Liyue.”
“Huh, guess they do him that to not offend him?”
“Could be- uergh!”
Lumine quietly ate her share as she watched Paimon aggressively choke on the large piece. After thumping her on the back to free her windpipe, and also as payback for scaring her awake that morning, Lumine burned the paper wrappings, and stowed away their belongings. And with that, they now set off for Liyue.
“Legend has it that only his closest aides, the Adepti, are privy to his Archon name, apart from Celestia, of course.” Paimon floated about dizzily, excited to see the new region. “The name the people use for the Geo Archon is Rex Lapis.”
“The King of the Stone~” Paimon grandly proclaimed. “Sounds like a much more serious and dignified fellow than the Tone-Deaf Bard of ours, eh?” Lumine only smiled as they walked on.
It was not too late before the windswept green grass of Mondstadt gave way to yellow trees and rocky landscapes. After crossing a small ravine, dotted with lotuses and a strange yellow rock she had never seen before (Cor Lapis, according to Paimon), they soon found themselves gazing at a vast marshland, dotted with rushes and surrounded by gigantic mountains.
This was Liyue.
“Also, they say that Mora is actually a derivative of his real name!” Paimon greedily giggled. “Do you think that if we curry his favor, he will let us have an unlimited supply of Mora too?”
“I doubt he’s that spendthrift.” Lumine mused.
“Hey~ He is literally the god of money! I bet he lives in a golden palace, surrounded by Mora and gemstones in heaps and heaps! Liyue is super prosperous thanks to him, so let Paimon dream of Mora!”
Lumine was amazed at the new nation, but she could relax and enjoy the sights after her task was done here. They had to reach the Harbor as soon as possible, so that she could be granted an audience with Rex Lapis, who was to send a vessel of his to guide his people in a few weeks’ time.
But things probably wouldn’t be easy, if she had learned anything from her experiences in Mondstadt. Trouble was brewing here too, and her goal would surely not be easy to achieve.
The moment she distracted herself with the scenery laid out before her, Lumine did not notice that Paimon had gone missing.
But a yell from somewhere made her realize her companion’s absence, and she frantically looked around. Paimon was floating around a shop’s counter, sneaking tea cakes. The shopkeeper’s exasperated cries made her run to pay for the snacks Paimon had gobbled up.
As she ran to the unfortunate shopkeeper, something felt a little off.
Liyue was overflowing with Geo energy, but did it feel so heavy and dark? Perhaps her lengthy use of Anemo had made her accustomed to feel light and floaty, perhaps it was her imagination. Either way, Geo, despite its heaviness, exuded a strange feeling of comfort and…familiarity. Why was that so?
Something else had also caught her attention.
In the moment when she first felt the element in the air, Lumine felt a small shiver, like someone was observing her. She looked around for the pair of eyes that felt like they bore through her very soul.
But there was none.
As she turned back towards Paimon, she thought that the corner of her eye had caught a figure perched atop a cliff. She looked back, scouring for the ledge.
Was that a humanoid shadow on the cliff?
In the next moment, it only looked like a clump of rocks.
The presence was gone.
As she finally walked to the shop, she could have sworn that she had definitely seen a pair of glowing amber eyes staring at her.
After a long journey of a week, the two finally arrived in Liyue Harbor. The flamboyant city with its great port and opulent splendor.
Everything was a sight to behold, the decorations, the fragrances, the lifestyle…Perhaps it was the coming of the Rite of Descension that amplified the city’s allure.
As Lumine and Paimon walked around the port, looking around for familiar faces, they did not expect to be met with such a busy crowd. Wine traders from Mondstadt, diplomats and businessmen from Snezhnaya, scholars from Sumeru, engineers from Fontaine…they seemed to be in a rush, presumably for the same event as they were hoping to attend.
As they weaved their way across the crowd, Lumine’s shoulders kept brushing with people walking at a brisk pace. Amidst muffled “sorry” and “excuse me” repeating over and over, the next shoulder that Lumine ran into had her sink into a trance.
The dark silken fabric hid a strong arm, and it hit her like a wall when it brushed past. That was all she could catch before glancing back at the person to murmur a quick apology. But that apology never came out.
For those amber eyes had flickered in the crowd like a will o’ the wisp, and disappeared without a trace.
“-veler! Traveler!” the piping voice shook her out of her trance. Paimon floated dizzily around her, accompanied by a short, dark-blue haired girl with a little bouncy bear by her side.
“What are you doing, getting lost in thought like this? Look who’s here to meet us!”
“Hello!” the girl chirped in excitement.
“Xiangling, it’s been a while!” Lumine smiled brightly.
“It has, and quite the opportune time you’ve chosen to arrive- The Rite of Descension is coming in a few days! You’ll be seeing it, won’t you?”
“That’s right, we will!” Paimon bounced happily.
“Business is booming at our place, wanna come and have a bite? My treat! I can also set out a spare room for you!”
“How could Pai- err, Lumine, resist the offer of a good meal on the house?” Paimon answered for the two of them, and they walked towards Chihu Rock.
Sparing one last glance at the crowd, Lumine left with the two guides.
A rich, delightful meal at Wanmin’s, a hearty chat with an old friend, and for once, a bed to sleep for the night. Aah, life had never been better for Lumine. And yet, several strange questions made not only the food a tad bit tasteless, but she spent a sleepless night.
Those amber eyes still held Lumine entranced.
Who was spying on her …? There was something very sacred about its presence.
She tossed and turned around.
Was it just a hallucination? Or perhaps, just as fate had led her to Barbatos himself, could it be…
It was merely a coincidence that she had chanced upon Barbatos and Dvalin outside Mondstadt. It would be a miracle if Rex Lapis had really been following her.
No, it must have been a figment of her imagination.
Right now, she had bigger fish to fry than worry about something that she wasn’t even sure had happened.
Her mission. She knew nothing about the Rite of Descension, except for what Venti had told her before she departed for Liyue. The Archon would supposedly send a vessel of his to the ground, with a message for Liyue.
And would she even manage to gain his attention, being the strange outsider that she was?
An alien entity in this world, she was beyond the supposed hierarchies that governed Teyvat. As such, her presence was most likely not even going to be acknowledged unless she was wrapped in a supernatural quagmire, which was something she did NOT want to experience again. All she wanted to do was to find her brother, and these conspiracies would only delay her journey. She only hoped to meet Rex Lapis as fast as possible and glean what he knew about her kin. Surely one who sensed the very earth of the world would home in on his location. Or was that too far fetched an idea?
Even though all these questions seemed to keep her awake, Lumine found herself being lulled to sleep, exhaustion taking over her.
And soon, she found herself in a dreamscape.
Part II. Earth has sensed the Coming
She stood alone at Yaoguang Shoal, where the union of the cold winds from Dragonspine and the tropical breeze of Guyun gave birth to perpetual fog, listlessly gazing at the rolling waves that never seemed to crash on the shores.
Lumine could not move. She felt herself trapped in time, just like the frozen waves.
Even though she could not sense anyone else on the beach besides her, something told her she was not the only person in the dreamscape. A mighty presence, intangible and invisible, seemed to stand beside her, on the right. Now she felt it to her left. Now above her, and now below her. It was everywhere. The presence seemed to be aware of her awareness of it, and it actively manifested in front of her, so that her unmoving body may gaze upon it.
A shimmering obsidian mist. It held the crushing weight of Geo. She had met several Geo users throughout her journey, but they all paled in comparison to this entity. This aura of absolute, unyielding authority, this divine energy…it surely belonged to the one she was looking for.
“We finally meet, mortal.”
A voice emerged from the mist, echoing across the dreamscape. It was deep, it was regal, it was ancient. Lumine shuddered in awe at its weight.
The mist, dark and shimmering, gave way to a pair of the richest amber eyes. It was these same eyes that had observed her across her journey from Stone Gate to Liyue Harbor.
If she had any doubts about the being whose mighty presence she was in, they had been vanquished.
“Rex Lapis.” She mouthed. It had to be him.
But she was surprised when no sound left her lips.
“Yes, that indeed is me.” His voice boomed proudly.
As terrified as she was of the power his voice alone held, she secretly felt flattered that a god would personally speak to her, even if it was in her unconsciousness.
“I know that you have embarked on an adventure of enormous proportions, but I know not your reasons. So tell me then, mortal, what is it that drives you to search for me? Do you wish to witness my divine grace in the Rite of Descension? Do you seek guidance as the people of Liyue do?”
“I search for m̸̧̨̰͂̇̆γ̸̺͇͇̑͛̾ ̸̠͚̯̐͆́d̶̪͚̙͑̈͛ɿ̸̙̲̗̈́̇̕ö̸̱̞̜́͛̈Ɉ̷̛̝͙̻̋͘ʜ̶̗̲͔̂̂̆ɘ̶̻͔̳̆̒̃ɿ̷͍͔̠̓̂͛” Lumine replied, not surprised to not hear her voice, but surprised at the sense of void in her answer. Was this dreamscape lulling her to forget her purpose?
“I know that you have a great many things to ask of me. Even if you do not find the strength to voice them. And that is why you seek to attend the Rite of Descension, do you not?”
Lumine wanted to say yes, but her body was stiff and heavy, like a statue.
“However, your journey, if you have specifically come to me with the Rite in mind, your journey has been futile."
Lumine stared in silence...Futile?
"I must tell you this." Rex Lapis' voice rumbled. "The Rite of Descension will not lead you anywhere. My message is for Liyue alone. Therefore, as per your status as an outlander, you shall not benefit from the Rite. You have been misled.”
Lumine felt dejected. The bard had probably not known about this.
“But fret not, little one.” His voice now soothed her, as if he had sensed her disappointment.
“I shall grant unto you a chance to meet me."
Lumine felt a spark of hope ignite within her.
"But there is a catch." His voice seemed to wrap itself around her. "You must carve that chance out by yourself. I shall merely acknowledge it. Depending upon your response, I shall answer all your questions. Is that acceptable to you?”
Another Archon with another cryptic condition. But she had no other choice.
“Yes” Lumine readily mouthed. Her voice was audible now, and she could move around. The mist had dissipated into nothingness.
“Very good.” His voice was now disembodied, and echoed softly as if he was floating away. “I have waited eons to see you, and I shall wait more until the time is opportune. When that time comes, I expect you to prove your worth.”
And the voice was now gone. So was the crushing power of Geo. Lumine was now all alone on the shores. And the waves crashed on the shores like they should.
“Rex Lapis…” Lumine whispered. What sort of God was he? What did he look like? Why would he speak to her in her dreams? And why did he say he was waiting for her?
She had no answers to any of these. Perhaps she could ask Xiangling in the morning.
As the dreamscape began to fade away, and she was pulled back into a deep slumber, Lumine, for a moment, thought that she had caught sight of a great serpent slithering over the waves. It was a most ominous presence. But before she could ponder over it, sleep took over her mind.
And her world went dark.
After what felt like an eternity, Lumine gasped and woke up, beads of sweat dotting her forehead.
Just what kind of dream was that?
As Lumine gazed out of the window, overlooking the quiet but busy street of Chihu Rock, a sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her reverie. Lugging herself out of the bed, she opened the door to find Paimon and Xiangling outside, with a tray of steaming hot dishes in tow.
“Rise and shine!” Paimon chirped. “You’ve been asleep for hours! Paimon was so bored!”
“Good morning, Paimon,” Lumine smiled. “And good morning to you too, Xiangling.”
“Morning! I’ve got us some fresh and piping hot grub right here! Let’s dig in!”
Jade Parcels, Bamboo Shoot Soup, and Grilled Tiger Fish. A meal fit for a king.
The three girls enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast and chatted about their lives. Xiangling was amazed by Paimon’s narration of Lumine’s fight against the Abyss Order and her rescue of Dvalin, the Dragon of the East.
“A dragon…” Xiangling looked on dreamily.
“Did you know that Rex Lapis also takes the form of a half-dragon, half-Qilin?” She piped.
“Oh?” Paimon was curious.
“Mm-hm!” Xiangling pointed at a wall scroll hanging on the opposite wall. It depicted a serpentine, brown and golden illuminated beast flying atop Jueyun Karst.
“That’s Rex Lapis!”
So this was the entity that had spoken to her.
“He looks smaller than Dvalin…” Lumine mused. “But he also looks much more severe than Dvalin.”
“Haha, I get what you mean.” Xiangling collected the empty plates and bowls. “Rex Lapis takes this form when he descends down on Yuehai Pavilion during the Rite of Descension!”
“This form?” Paimon wondered. “Does that mean that Rex Lapis has many forms?”
“Legend holds that he does! Rex Lapis is a very fair, sagacious and witty Archon! He walks among his people, he plays tricks on those whom he likes! I could tell you all about it, but…Hmm, I wonder if he’s working today…” Xiangling answered, then suddenly fell into deep thought. Then shaking out of it to focus on the tasks at hand, she ran out of the door.
“Anyway, come downstairs when you’re done! I’ll take you somewhere!”
And with this, the bubbly chef left the room with the stacks of bowls teetering in her arms.
“Let’s go then, Lumine! We also have commissions to take care of!”
And the two followed Xiangling downstairs.
............
“So, where are we going?” Lumine looked around at the balconies around a particularly lush street.
“We’re going to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!” Xiangling grinned.
Lumine and Paimon stopped in their tracks.
“A Funeral Parlor!?”
“Yes! Um- don’t get me wrong,” Xiangling realized why they were so tense.
“There’s a person who works there who can tell you everything you want to know about Rex Lapis and the Rite of Descension.”
“Oh…I see.” Lumine sighed in relief and they resumed walking towards an upscale street called Feiyun Slope. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was tucked away right in the left side of the entrance.
It was a small and simple looking building, with a small patio, upon which, stood a lady wearing black garments, tending to a small notice board.
“Hey, Miss Ferrylady!” Xiangling called out to her. The lady quietly turned around, with a light smile.
“Greetings, Miss Xiangling.” The lady bowed. “It’s uncommon for you to visit us. What is the occasion?”
“Nothing, nothing!” Xiangling shook her head. “I’m showing my two outlander friends around the Harbor, and was wondering if we could meet Mr. Zhongli!”
“Mr. Zhongli?” The Ferrylady frowned.
“I’m afraid, but he is currently not present here.”
Xiangling awkwardly looked at her guests, and then turned towards the Ferrylady.
“Aww, bummer...” Paimon chimed in. “When would he be back?”
“I do not know.” The Ferrylady looked at the strange guests of Xiangling. “The Director is out visiting her family, and Mr. Zhongli will be summoned only when she returns.”
“I see. That’s a shame. But thanks anyway!” Xiangling smiled and looked at the two. “Let’s just head back for now.” She smiled bashfully, and they all returned towards Chihu Rock.
“So, who’s this Mr. Zhongli?” Paimon was curious about the new name.
“He’s a consultant hired by the Parlor.” Xiangling walked at leisure. “He’s the most knowledgeable man in all of Liyue, maybe even Teyvat? He knows about every single historical event, ritual’s history, and even obscure legends of Liyue!”
“Hoo, sounds like a walking library.”
“You’re very close, Paimon! Some people like to call him a specimen of ‘walking history’!”
Xiangling regaled them with a few stories of Mr. Zhongli dining at Wanmin Restaurant and Third Round Knockout, admonishing the chef at the latter, and dishing out a lengthy lecture about the ratio of tea leaves for his perfect tea, but merely giving direct advice to Xiangling about what kind of salt to use in a particular dish.
“He sounds like quite the particular gentleman.” Lumine smiled as they halted in front of Wanmin Restaurant.
“Trust me, you two would absolutely love him! He’s also incredibly witty. Shame he’s gone for now.” Xiangling wistfully looked at them.
“Anyway, rush hour’s picking up, I’ll get back to work now! See you in the evening!”
“Bye, Xiangling!” The two of them waved her goodbye, and left for the Adventurers’ Guild.
Part III. Unwanted Attention
They stood in the middle of Bishui Plains, looking for hilichurl camps.
“Let’s see…three hilichurl horns…” Lumine filed through the requests Katheryne gave her, outsourced from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
“They refine the Millelith’s weapons with those horns, it seems…”
“How would those gnarled horns make weapons stronger?” Paimon was confused.
“Dunno, we should ask this to the blacksmiths when we get back. If we find any hilichurls, that is.”
She looked around once again, in search for potential targets.
“Look, there’s a camp there!” Paimon pointed at a small camp in the middle of an island.
She ran towards the small camp in the south. Hilichurls, Mitachurls and even a Lawachurl. Ooh, this commission was going to pay well!
“Let’s go!” Lumine flashed her sword and prepared to wipe the camp out.
But she couldn’t.
Not because hidden abyss mages were summoned.
But because the earth rumbled under the camp just as she stepped inside.
The hilichurls began panicking, and within a few seconds, small spears of rock emerged and impaled every single one of them.
Groaning in their twisted, voices, the hilichurls crumbled into nothingness without even lobbing a slime at her.
And then there was complete silence, as if there was nothing to see here.
“…What just happened?” Paimon whimpered.
“…” Lumine stared dazedly in profound confusion. But the moment she sensed traces of Geo energy in the air, her mind wandered back to the dream she saw back then. It was the same energy. And perhaps she was hallucinating, but she swore she heard a deep, guttural chuckle, not unlike-
“This commission is now useless.” Lumine flung the sheet away, annoyed.
“Let’s go to Wangshu Inn and see if Verr Goldet needs our help.”
............
The next day, the two explorers walked around Minlin, looking for raven insignia.
“Those medals are built of pure metals, so they can be melted and reused in various ways.” Lumine looked into the map.
“Much easier than mining, if you ask me.” Paimon yawned. “So where is this camp located?”
“near…Taishan Mansion.” Lumine pointed at the red circle.
“Taishan Mansion…Yesterday, I could hear Iron Tongue Tian talking about the abode of the Adepti in one of his stories!” Paimon struggled to recall it.
“Ah, yes! They say that this place used to be Rex Lapis’ home before he moved to Qingyun Peak!”
“You sure know a lot about Liyue, Paimon.” Lumine smiled, but she couldn’t help but feel her blood sting a little at the Archon’s name. She was dead convinced that he had interfered with her commission. Her reason?
None. Just anger at losing a paycheck.
“Hehe~ng, Paimon’s your number one guide, after all!”
Lumine chose to ignore the small volume of an itinerary that Paimon hid behind her back.
When they reached the grounds around Taishan Mansion, they hid between the boulders, observing the Treasure Hoarder camp. Those crooks sat on the ground, polishing their weapons and crafting crude potions, blissfully unaware of what was to hit them.
“You ready?” Paimon looked at Lumine, who pulled her sword out and crouched, ready to dash into the arena.
Without an answer, Lumine sped away, like a golden meteor. The medals were all hers.
Except, she never got to personally claim them.
Not because the Treasure Hoarders overpowered her.
But because a rift tore through the ground on which they sat, and the two halves of the circle folded together with a loud clap, crushing everything and everyone in between.
Lumine stared dumbfounded as the stone disk stood upright, and then collapsed into the earth, leaving not a single trace of the Treasure Hoarders. And no medals either.
And today too, she would not be able to complete her commissions.
“Lumine! Are you all right!?” Paimon whizzed close to her as she stood there, staring at the gates of Taishan Mansion in mild anger.
She sensed it clearly now. There was no mistaking it. The lingering energy of Geo seemed to challenge her.
And she was not one to be deterred so easily.
She sighed, and walked away. “Let’s go Paimon, we’re going to hunt some boars for dinner.”
............
Today’s task was commissioned by Xingxi, who asked them to find her some Cor Lapis. So, they were walking around Luhua Pool, scouring the cliffside for Cor Lapis veins.
“Say, Lumine…you look tense.” Paimon chipped uncertainly.
“I’m not.” Came the curt reply.
“Yeah you are!” Paimon indignantly chirped
“This week…the commissions have been clearing themselves out for us. Do you remember?”
“Let’s see…the hilichurl camp being impaled, the Geovishaps falling into sinkholes, concentrated iron ore veins popping up around us…the Hoarders getting clapped like mosquitoes…Yeah, that’s it so far.”
“I don’t like that.”
“Eh?”
“I do. Not. Like. That.” Lumine glared at a nearby Cor Lapis vein. With brute strength, she ripped the rock out. Then ran towards another one, then another, and another until she finally had enough to give to Xingxi.
Her hands were tattered and bleeding, but there was a sense of victory within her.
The strange power did not interfere this time.
“LUMINE?! LUMINE!!” Paimon yelled, and knocked her head. “What ARE you doing??”
“This commission is mine.” She grinned at the ore, a mildly worrisome look on her face. “Let’s give these to Xingxi before something else disturbs us!”
And Lumine ran towards the Harbor, laughing at her Pyrrhic victory.
And Paimon could only make a mental note about taking her to Bubu Pharmacy after they submitted the ores. Screw that, she would pull the reckless traveler by her scarf to the pharmacy.
“T-thank you for these…” Xingxi looked at the two travelers, one having a worried look plastered all over her face and the other panting in frenzy, her hands bandaged.
“Are these good to go? We picked them off Luhua Pool.” Lumine breathed.
“Eh? Luhua Pool?” Xingxi inspected the glittering ore. “But these are nothing like the cheap quality ores found there…”
“Eh?” Lumine stared at her. “What do you mean, cheap…”
“I thought it was from the Chasm…since ores of such high quality are only found there…No...” Xingxi peered carefully. “Miss, you- you didn’t go to Mount Hulao, did you?”
“I didn’t!” Lumine replied. “Like I said, Luhua Pool! Why?”
“This specimen has no flaws…Only the sacred abode of the Adepti possesses ores as perfect as this.” she gasped. “This is a sacred and priceless find…I- I cannot make jewellery out of this!”
She took the smaller pieces for herself, and slid the largest chunk of ore back to Lumine. “Keep this as a keepsake! I’ll still pay you for your efforts!”
As Paimon floated behind Lumine, a big bag of Mora in her hands, she couldn’t help but sense the latter’s irritation.
Once again, Lumine’s commission had been toyed with. He was messing with her, wasn’t he?
“The Rite of Descension is tomorrow…Let us just spend time at Xiangling’s.” She grimaced, clutching the pure, shimmering golden ore in her hands.
When Lumine and Paimon returned to Wanmin Restaurant, Xiangling greeted them with a bubbling pot of noodles.
“The Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had arrived here for lunch today!” She excitedly piped.
“And Mr. Zhongli is unfortunately in Sumeru right now, working with the Scribe of the Akademiya there.” She sighed. “It means that we won’t see him for the Rite of Descension. Which is to be expected, since we never see him around during this time of the year.”
“And what did you two do these past few days?”
“There were a lot of commissions and requests handed to me, so I was coursing across Liyue and doing my job.” Lumine absentmindedly stared at her soup.
“Ah, and- WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HANDS??” Xiangling shrieked, alerting Chef Mao who ran to their table to see what had happened.
“Xiangling! You’re scaring the customers!”
“S-Sorry,” she sheepishly sat down.
“And what happened to you, Miss Traveler?” Chef Mao placed a plate of meat rolls on their table. “What’s with those bandages?”
“I tore out a bunch of high-quality ore for a commission…” Lumine groaned.
“T-Tore out?” Xiangling stammered. “Why would you do that?”
In exasperation, Lumine told her how her commissions were being sabotaged by an unknown force.
“And when I thought I fulfilled a commission for once, I found myself again being aided by a power that somehow sprouted high quality ore in a place known for common ones.”
“But Lumine…” Xiangling pondered. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It’s not!” Lumine wailed. “I do not like being assisted with things that I am perfectly capable of doing myself!”
“Ah, now I see what you mean…” the little chef nodded. “…also, did you say that you felt a trace of Geo energy whenever your commissions were magically finished?”
“Yes.”
“But that IS a good thing!!” Xiangling stood up in excitement, almost toppling the table over.
“How so?”
“My mother used to tell me an old story that she had heard from her grandmother, who had in turn heard it from her own grandmother, and it has been handed down to every family in Liyue that has lived here since their first generation.” Xiangling rocked in her chair.
“Whenever a trace of Geo energy lingers in the air, it means that Rex Lapis himself is at work. So, when miners are met with good quality ores, or when the mercantile routes are protected from rockslides, and there is Geo energy around, they say that Rex Lapis has blessed them!”
“Also, many stories tell of Rex Lapis bestowing his favor on mortals who attract his attention, and are worthy of divine grace, and he likes to drop hints to make them acknowledge him!”
Lumine thought of their conversation from two days ago. Xiangling did say that Rex Lapis was a somewhat playful god.
“Lumine, you’re something of a hero in Mondstadt, aren’t you?” Xiangling looked at her with bright eyes.
Lumine stayed silent.
“Oooh, Paimon gets it!” Paimon leapt in the air. “Rex Lapis has taken a fancy to you!”
“…But I’m just an outlander. Surely it’s a coincidence.” Lumine played with her empty plate.
The dream.
Why would Rex Lapis assist her in her meagre commissions if he was testing her worth…? What was he thinking? Would he respond if she personally spoke to him?
“I doubt it’s a coincidence, Lumine,” Xiangling smiled softly. “Your reputation is justified. Someone who helped the Anemo Archon is surely worthy of being a hero for Liyue too!”
“Oh, speaking of which, the Director did say that she had met with folks from the Qixing, and they too seemed to have a high opinion of you!” Xiangling tried to boost her morale. “The fact that they still had time to discuss about you despite being so busy, you best believe in yourself!”
Lumine could only smile weakly to allay Xiangling’s concerns, and bidding good night to the two, she stood and left for her room.
“The Rite of Descension is tomorrow. Now go to sleep, and rest up as much as you can!” Paimon called out from behind, and sat back to help herself to more fried shrimp.
In her room, Lumine lay in the darkness, rolling the Cor Lapis ore in her hand. It gave off a weak, pulsating luminescence.
Prove your worth, and I shall reward you with my presence.
What was the point of this challenge if he would not let her do her tasks in peace?
Perhaps he was playing tricks with her, testing if she would take the bait, if there was anything to bait her with in those happenstances.
She could not sleep.
Within a few hours, the Rite of Descension would commence, but it would be completely useless for her.
Rex Lapis himself said so.
How was she then to prove her mettle to him?
Her insomnia was not helping…Maybe a walk outside could help her think.
The cool air worked wonders. Walking along the streets at midnight, under the light of the full moon, Lumine no longer felt stifled. She walked along Feiyun Slope, and briefly stopped to stare at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The Director, and Mr. Zhongli. Wonder what kind of people they were.
She briefly roamed around the small bridge that led to Bubu Pharmacy. It was still open. She noticed Dr. Baizhu pacing around in front of the pharmacy. He smiled and waved at her. She waved back and walked ahead.
She thought about the little Zombie nurse of Dr. Baizhu, what was she called? Ah, Qiqi. She had treated and wrapped the bandages on her hands. Whatever ointment Dr. Baizhu had applied on her hands, they were miraculous, for her broken nails had already healed completely. She would have to properly thank the two later.
Moving from the Pharmacy, she walked towards the wharfs. A lot of important people from different nations were alighting from their ships. Within a few hours, these people would crowd at Yuehai Pavilion, ready to see Rex Lapis’ vessel deliver his guidance for Liyue.
Come to think of it, why did Rex Lapis himself not meet his people? Why did he send only his vessel to speak to them? It felt strange, especially since she saw Barbatos freely roam the streets of Mondstadt, in the guise of a young boy.
But then, his carefree ways had forced him to forfeit his Gnosis, albeit through crafty means.
Was Rex Lapis cautious about his own Gnosis?
Who knows...the Archons and their strange ways.
As Lumine stood at the wharf, her attention immediately landed on an especially luxurious ship at the dock, her eyes instantly widened at the symbol that graced its sails.
The four-leaf cross with eyes on it.
The Fatui.
And by the looks of it, it was a Harbinger’s ship.
“Like the ship?” A relaxed voice drawled behind her.
She spun around to see a tall young man, dressed in strange grey clothes, with a red scarf. His hair was messy, and red, but his most striking features were his eyes. They were the richest blue she had ever seen, but not a fleck of light danced in them.
“Haven’t seen you here before,” he grinned. “I’d remember someone as pretty as you in the first sight.”
“Do you flirt with everything you see?” Lumine took a step back and grimaced.
“Heavens, no!” He raised his hands. “Can’t an outlander greet a fellow outlander in peace?”
“I’d return the friendly greetings if the outlander was not a member of the Fatui; and didn’t try to break the ice with a piss-poor attempt at picking up girls.”
“Really? The pickup line matters more than my affiliation?” He scratched his head.
“Anyway, I’m just here to attend the Rite of Descension, since the Northland Bank’s branch will also be relying on this year’s divine forecasts.” He grinned, his smile surprisingly amiable. She thanked herself secretly for not losing her guard against that disarming smile.
“And you, pretty Outlander? What are you here for?”
“I’m on a vacation.” She lied.
“Ah! I wish I had a vacation too.” He sighed. “I haven’t visited my little brothers and sisters in ages…”
“I’ve got tons of stories to tell them, but letters don’t exactly make a good way to communicate those thrilling tales, do they?” He smiled at her, a lonely tinge dancing in his eyes.
Lumine kept her face emotionless. But her heart understood his pain. The pangs of separation were relatable.
A call from his ship made him click his tongue in annoyance. “Crap, they’re calling. Gotta go, girlie!” He waved her goodbye.
Before climbing the gangway, he turned around one last time.
“Maybe this time I’ll tell my siblings about an event that will shake the world.” He smiled, but this time it held a tricky feeling to it.
“Might take a few hours to write it all down, but I’ll have you proofread it, how’s that?”
With that, he ran away, as fast as he had appeared.
What a curious guy.
Lumine thought it was time she returned to the Restaurant.
As she walked through the still-empty streets, the Fatui boy’s words echoed in her head.
Her disdain for La Signora had left her incredibly wary of the Fatui. And perhaps it was intuition that told her that trouble was brewing.
As she walked past Hanfeng’s Ironmongers, she couldn’t help but hand her dull sword to Master Zhang, for a good polishing and sharpening.
Trouble was bound to brew wherever the Fatui walked, and perhaps this was her opportunity to prove her worth.
And she would not let any mysterious power steal her thunder.