Chapter Text
She puts down the teacup gingerly, watching the man before her casually pour wine into his own cup and drink, stymied.
“Venti,” she says, then thinks better of it.
“Lumine, my dear friend,” he replies with a grin, “what is life without the pleasures of wine?”
“Inebriation, you mean?”
“Just so!” Like a savage, he downs the drink and doesn’t even have the decency to wince at the taste. “Will you need more time to think it over? I understand this is a big decision.”
“It’s not that big,” she retorts, looking into the yellow color of her drink. “Not for Aether.”
“Ah, but the import of your brother’s whereabouts is precisely what gives your decision weight.” Venti clasps his hands on the table, waiting until she lifts her gaze to speak again. “Allow me to summarize; you will sign up for the tournament, and ask to speak to the Acting Grandmaster Jean. Give her the letter of introduction, and you should be able to use whatever accommodations are under my name.”
“I feel like that will stir up unsavory rumors,” Lumine notes idly.
“Does that displease you?” Venti waggles his eyebrows. “Being known as one who has my favor?”
“Not really. I know it’s not true.”
Venti nods. “You’re a darling girl, certainly. ‘Tis unfortunate that I do not fall easily.”
“Surprising.”
“Is it?”
“For someone so romantic, yup. Let’s continue our previous discussion.”
“You’re no fun, Lumi.” He takes another drink. “My name should intrigue the nobility enough for them to seek you out. You can ask your questions then. If not, the tournament is the back up plan. The higher you get, the more you will pique the interest of the archons. If you absolutely must, win the tournament and choose to study under one of them. You’ll be able to talk to them for sure then.”
“You seem to be confident that I can win.”
“Lumi, you helped me fight against Dvalin, and he is no slouch. It would be a grave slight to your honor to suggest you cannot win this tournament.”
“How is he, by the way?”
“Much better, now that he’s away from that horrid mage. He likes to go off on his own, but he comes back to the cottage after a few days. He made me apple tarts, can you believe it?”
“Married, are you?”
“Ehe, don’t let him hear you say that.”
They sit in companionable silence after their banter, Venti graciously allowing her more time to think.
Lumine delicately sips her tea, feeling the warmth of the drink course through her body – a welcome change from the evening chill. The autumn is waning, and winter has begun creeping into the nights with cold winds and creaking wood. Lumine is looking forward to Mondstadt’s light snowfall in a month’s time.
But for now, Mondstadt is hosting the Ascension Tournament. Any mage willing to take up the challenge is invited to compete for the chance to win one of several prizes; a hefty sum of Mora; an elixir, said to be the rarest and strongest general cure; a chance to study under one of the archons.
Lumine will feel terrible if she robs anyone of the prizes. However, nothing will stop her from finding her brother.
Venti had no leads, but surely the two archons currently involved in their governments can point her somewhere. Venti has even allowed her to invoke his name as Barbatos, Lord Protector of Mondstadt, before Morax and the Raiden Shogun if that’s what it takes to get information.
Not to mention the child she’s currently caring for…
She has a long journey ahead of her.
“Alright,” she says into the lovely calm. “I think this plan is sound.”
“Of course it is. Yours truly came up with it, after all,” Venti peacocks with a big grin and raised chin. “Then, I’ll get to writing that letter. Ooh, when you meet Morax, tell him he’s a blockhead.”
“No.”
“So,” Lumine says to the girl in her arms. “How are we feeling?”
Paimon beams. “Paimon’s excited!” she exclaims, wiggling in Lumine’s grip.
She’s probably around five years or so, but she’s terribly precocious – enough to have presented herself as a guide when Lumine first stepped foot in Mondstadt in exchange for Mora.
Given that she is an orphan, Lumine couldn’t in good conscience leave her be. Besides, Paimon charmed her with her boisterous personality, cherubic face, and suspicious magic. Perhaps she will be like Aether and Lumine – a child of stars.
Lumine can’t go to the tournament without someone watching Paimon, however. She’ll be busy investigating. So, she’s dropping Paimon off with someone who will not only care for her, but appreciate her big personality.
“Don’t worry, Lumine!” Xiangling assures her cheerily. “Paimon’s in good hands!”
“Right.” Lumine puts Paimon down and kneels to be at eye level. “I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be gone, but I’ll do my best to come back as soon as possible. So behave for Xiangling while I’m gone, okay?”
Paimon harrumphs and crosses her tiny arms. “Paimon always behaves!”
“Heh, that’s right.” She pulls Paimon in for a hug, who relents immediately. “I’ll miss you everyday.”
“Paimon will miss you more!”
“Maybe.”
“Hey! That’s not how this is supposed to go!”
Lumine giggles quietly, and hears what sounds like sniffles. Alarmed, she pulls back to look at Paimon’s face, but there is no sorrow to be found – only the same surprise she feels. They look up at Xiangling, who is pink with emotion.
“You’ll be a great mom, Lumine,” she manages to say.
Lumine and Paimon look at each other.
“She’s not my mom.”
“I’m not her mom.”
Xiangling blinks. “Oh. Uh. Okay.”
After one last hug, Lumine says her farewells and leaves. She feels wrong-footed, traveling alone again, but for all of Paimon’s independence she’s still a young child who needs to be looked after.
She’s lucky Xiangling has come to Mondstadt to support Xingqiu and Chongyun in the tournament (or rather, look at the food vendors are sure to be hawking). Otherwise, Lumine’s not sure of what she would have done.
Sword at her side and bag slung on her back, Lumine heads for the crossroads that lead to Mondstadt’s main city.
The morning is misty, with white skies and an overall feeling of gloom. Lumine doesn’t mind it – it just feels like silence is in order.
The Mondstadt region is honestly the best place for Lumine to be alone in. She’s lucky this is the first place she entered in the country of Teyvat, since the people within are so friendly and full of odd jobs.
It’s also funny how the region has been in a flurry wondering where their reigning noble, Lord Barbatos, has gone, and somehow Lumine stumbled upon him almost immediately. Venti is a romantic buffoon at best and a slippery drunkard at worst, and she can see how little political office would suit him.
The greenery and breeze of Mondstadt’s countryside is what calls to him. That, and the boisterous atmosphere of a tavern, where he can go and stir up even more chaos because he’s a mischievous lad in a man’s body.
Well… that can also be debated.
Shaking her head, Lumine rids herself of her, admittedly, entertaining thoughts to scan her surroundings. Trees, grass, and a wooden sign marking the location of the change in routes. At the crossroads is a stone bridge, where Lumine spots a hat so ostentatious she can immediately parse out who is standing on it even in the mist.
“Mona,” she greets as she approaches. To her credit, the astrologist doesn’t flinch.
“Ah, so it was you who would approach,” Mona says by way of greeting. She is staring down at the water beneath the small bridge, looking utterly focused. “I have seen this occurrence, and waited patiently for your arrival to deliver a message.”
“Message?”
“Yes.” Mona’s brow furrows. “It is not… the gravity of your future is muddled. I cannot tell whether or not the nature of this message is humorous or frightening.”
“Well that sounds like a blast,” Lumine drawls, but her heart has begun to beat faster against her will. “Let’s hear it.”
Mona shakes her head, as if able to rid herself of whatever she’s thinking. “You… will gain the favor of many,” she speaks through a small grin, sounding like she wants to laugh. “Indeed, favor in the form of petals.”
“This better not be the disease of flowers,” Lumine mutters.
As if sensing her dour mood, Mona’s mouth pulls into a flat line. “You seek something, and so you shall find – but I fear the answer that lies before you is not the one you want.”
Don’t.
“Prophecies should rhyme.”
Mona shoots her a sour look. “The form of a couplet limits what I may deliver purposefully. The stars inform me of what I earn, so I am thus limited by my own power.”
“Sorry.” Lumine clears her throat, trying to stop her racing thoughts. “Thanks, Mona. I’ll rise high enough in the competition to earn some flowers, and I’ll find an answer to a question. That’s great to know.” She takes her coin purse from her bag and pulls out three large coins. “Here, my payment.”
Mona’s eyes practically become her beloved stars. “Oh, you needn’t be so generous!” she croons happily, reaching for the coins despite her words. “But, if you insist…”
“I insist,” Lumine humors her, dropping the coins into her eager hands. “Well then, I’ll be off.”
“Wait!” Mona takes the sleeve of her coat. “I have one more thing to say.”
Lumine raises an eyebrow. “Oh? You saw a lot this time, I take it?”
“Well, two more things to say, but one is my advice as an astrologist.” Mona clears her throat and looks back down at the water. “Ahem. I see less of an occurrence, and more of a description. Its meaning is something akin to a country’s destruction , more or less.”
“That…” Lumine hesitates. “That doesn’t sound friendly.”
“It doesn’t, does it?” Mona shrugs, strangely blasé about the matter. “This meaning is shrouded heavily. Now, onto my advice; do not stay steadfast in your assumptions of the future. Many have created self-fulfilling prophecies this way, and thus their own downfall.”
Sighing deeply, Lumine nods. She hates this part of predictions. The uncertainty of what is to come. “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Wonderful! Now, carry on. You’re headed to the tournament, I presume? Will you sign up?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
It’s Mona’s turn to sigh. “Oh, how woeful. I had hoped to join, but perhaps it was not meant to be…”
Lumine awkwardly shifts on her feet. “I’m not trying to win,” she tries to say reassuringly. “I just need to speak to the nobility.”
“Oho? Very well then.” Mona gestures to the wooden sign pointing towards Mondstadt on the other side of the bridge. “Shall we? I do not fancy a journey by myself.”
A traveling companion. Lumine feels herself relax, and she smiles at Mona. “After you.”
“Name?”
Right, this. “Lumine.”
“Any surname?”
“No.”
“Very well,” the lady – Katheryne is her name – says, lifting her quill with a flourish. “You’ve been registered for the tournament. If I may point you towards lodgings, the Goth Hotel and Windwheel Inn are accepting competitors at a discount.”
Behind her, Mona makes a quiet sound of restrained excitement. Lumine follows the direction where her finger points, nodding as she takes note. “I see, thank you. Erm, may I trouble you with a question?”
“What is your query?”
Calm down. Venti said the Acting Grandmaster not only had no qualms with meeting commoners, but encouraged it. “Is there some way I could speak with the Acting Grandmaster?”
Katheryne blinks, and Lumine feels her bones nearly jump out of her body.
“Yes, just ask one of the knights to escort you to her office,” she replies after an agonizing two seconds, expression still as placid as when she first greeted Lumine.
Lumine tries to subtly release the breath she’s been holding. “Okay, thanks so much.”
“In fact, there’s a knight right there. Miss Amber,” Katheryne calls, “this traveler wishes to meet with the Acting Grandmaster.”
A girl with brown hair and a bounce in her step comes bounding over, saluting. “Greetings, strange yet respectable traveler!” she greets, voice a queer mix of bubbly and stilted. “I am Outrider Amber! I hear you wish to meet with Acting Grandmaster Jean?”
Lumine nods, unsure of how to react to things moving so quickly.
“She may be busy at the moment, but I assure you she will hear what you have to say! Please, follow me!”
“Well then, guess I’ll sign up. Good luck, and remember what I said,” Mona tells her, walking up to the desk.
“I will. Bye,” Lumine says, waving, and follows after Amber, who seems to come alive as she walks through the city.
“This is an antique and souvenir store, With Wind Comes Glory, run by Marjorie. If you’re ever in need of a memory or token, this is the place to go!”
“This is Good Hunter, manned by the talented Sara! I recommend their Sticky Honey Roast.”
“Say…” Amber turns to look at Lumine curiously. “May I know your name, traveler?”
No need to tell her. “Lumine,” she replies. “You can call me Lumine.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Amber compliments. “Just for reference, what is it you need to speak with the Acting Grandmaster for?”
They really can’t just call her Grandmaster? Seems like a lot less hassle. “I have a letter of introduction,” Lumine explains, gesturing to her pack. “And I need her to verify it.”
“Oh, I see.” Amber doesn’t prod any further, which wins her points in Lumine’s eyes. “Well, I’m sure she will have time for you. Our Acting Grandmaster believes all people’s troubles are important!”
She looks so proud, Lumine can’t help but say, “You have a lot of faith in her.”
Amber beams. “Of course I do! I’ve never seen anyone so hardworking and efficient!”
“Not even the previous Grandmaster?”
That seems to silence Amber, and Lumine quickly backtracks. “Sorry,” she apologizes, harried. She has to remember, she can’t talk so carelessly anymore. Amber isn’t Paimon, nor Aether— “I didn’t mean to question your, uh, loyalties.”
Who’s the one prodding now?
“No no, it’s fine!” Amber reassures her, hands up in a placating gesture. “I’m not asked that often, is all.”
“Makes sense why,” Lumine retorts. “Really, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Amber hesitates, then seems to put her thoughts aside in favor of pointing ahead. “That’s the Knights’ Headquarters. Would you like me to guide you, or would you prefer to be alone?”
Alone? “I’m sorry to be so presumptuous,” Lumine says anxiously, feeling completely out of her depth with the letter burning a hole in her pack, “but would you be so kind as to guide me around?”
Something she does seems to click with Amber, and the girl gives her another beaming smile. “Of course!”
“It’s probably night by now,” Lumine mutters, not daring to look out the window.
“It is,” Amber informs her, sounding no less wretched than Lumine feels. “It seems she’s really busy today.”
“I should have expected this. Mondstadt is hosting a big event with lots of ambitious mages,” Lumine notes with no small amount of self depreciation. “Security must be a nightmare.”
“A bit,” Amber agrees. “I’m just glad Lisa had the foresight to buy chairs for guests.”
“You got that right,” the woman at their side says.
A chorus of murmurs go up.
Lumine looks over, seeing at least five more people waiting in line with them, dressed like mere townspeople or humble merchants. This Jean person must be pretty remarkable if they all feel comfortable enough to come and wait.
Doors creak, and Lumine’s traitorous heart jumps just like it has every time a door opened down the hall.
Except it’s really loud this time—
“Oh my,” a man’s voice drawls, and Lumine’s head snaps up. “Looks like we spoke for too long.”
“Kaeya, please let the first person in,” a woman’s voice calls from within the Long Awaited Room.
“Will do.”
Amber stands, holding a hand out Lumine. “Come on, that’s us!” she exclaims, looking possibly a wee bit crazed. “Let’s go!”
Lumine takes her hand and is promptly yanked up, Amber all but charging into the office.
Pretty sure that’s not proper decorum.
“Acting Grandmaster Jean!” Amber announces, “This is the traveler Lumine! She wishes to speak with you!”
At this point, it probably looks more like Amber wants to talk to Jean than Lumine, but she won’t say that out loud.
“Are you sure it’s the traveler and not yourself?” the man, Kaeya, teases as he makes his way to the side of the desk, crossing his arms. He’s dressed in all blue, and Lumine nearly asks him what he has against all other colors. Nearly.
Amber fumes, but Jean holds up a hand. “Thank you for escorting her,” she says with a tired smile. Lumine feels awful just looking at her. “Keep up the diligent work.”
It’s funny watching Amber become bashful under the praise, but then Jean’s focus turns to Lumine. “Greetings, traveler,” she says politely, perfectly postured and exuding an aura of friendliness despite her haggard appearance. “What is it I can help you with?”
Her heart beats madly, and Lumine tries not to tremble as she holds out her letter. “I have a letter of introduction,” she says, probably speaking too fast. “I was told that you could verify it.”
“Wait, that’s—“ Kaeya says, arms dropping to his sides, but he’s cut off by the lady’s raised hand. Maybe Lumine is just being hysterical, but he seems to almost begin glaring at her.
Jean’s face has paled even more, the bags under her eyes prominent even in the candlelight.
“This envelope…” she mutters, and takes the letter. She silently appraises the seal, and uses a letter opener to cleanly slice it open. Tentatively pulling out the letter, as if the paper will tear if she uses too much force, she begins reading it with an intense sort of focus, brows creased.
Lumine looks at Amber, who wears the same uncertain expression.
The office is silent.
“I see,” Jean utters after an agonizingly long moment. “Well, Lady Lumine—“
What the fuck.
“-you will be granted access t-to,” oh dear stars, she’s stuttering, “the… Lord Barbatos’ residence and resources.”
If she’s stuttering, Amber has gone completely catatonic. The only animated person in the room is the man Kaeya, and he seems to be wishing he could use the letter opener to slice Lumine’s head off.
“I’m no Lady,” is all she can think to say.