contains:honestly you’re just being attacked in this, a mention of death at the end, sagau/genshin cult au
summary:it seems you’ve stumbled into a world that unwelcomes you.
notes: so. that thought i had? here’s part of it. inspired by @nicebonescomrade and all of the wonderful genshin writers i’ve found under the sagau tag :)) don’t know if i’ll make a continuation??? we’ll see
how did you end up here, bruised and bleeding, on an island in the middle of the ocean?
the last memory that you had was waking up in the very same spot the traveler had woken up at. you were able to revel in the sunrise that blessed your first day in teyvat. it peeked up from behind the sea, making the water sparkle and glisten as its light bounced off of it.
you already had small scratches and cuts from your climb up the first wall, but you quickly wiped the dirt away on as you stared out over the view that dragged you into this game.
mondstadt stood before you, the distant noise of city chatter and music filling the air.
you couldn’t get there faster. you hurriedly dodged the hilichurl camps and slime spawn spots to stand on the bridge’s entrance, watching as small dandelion tufts drifted with the wind.
and as you took that first step into the city…
it was hell.
the first people to see you were flora and donna, both stationed at mondstadt’s entrance. they had a habit of looking at the people as they entered the city, ready to pursue business and sell their flowers. but once they saw your face, they caught everyone’s attention.
donna had shrieked once her eyes settled on your face.
flora had begun to sob and babble on about something you didn’t quite understand.
wagner’s sudden banging of metal had pierced your ears in that second. you turned to look at him, only to see the blacksmith pointing the sword he seemed to hammer relentlessly at you.
you could vaguely remember the hate-filled words they screamed at you, their cries blending together into a single sound that made your head pulse and your wounds ache.
the knights relieved the citizens of their chase, taking over and allowing them to try and trip you or throw their goods at you as you ran past them.
not even the church was safe. the nuns there would shout at you, damning you to hell for an eternity and more. the children there, just like flora, would cry incessantly as you passed them.
so you jumped. straight over the side of the church’s fence. your feet and ankles hurt, sure, but you could tell they weren’t completely shattered as you had expected they would be.
you couldn’t bare to stop, especially when you caught glimpses of the characters you held dear to you in the corner of your eye. if they hadn’t stopped the citizens of mondstadt when they were attacking you, what chance did you have if you asked them on your own?
so you fled.
and fled.
and fled and fled and fled.
until you began to wander along the pathways, passing the road to dragonspine as you continued to liyue.
it wasn’t like that nation was any better. in fact, it seemed more brutal than mondstadt was.
perhaps it was because it was more of an archon and celestial being run city. perhaps it was because the adepti could see you coming even before you stepped close to liyue.
it was even worse when you met the liyue citizens in person.
they were quick to chase you, hoping to push you over the side of the bridges and fences that blocked off the sea or bludgeon you with any available resource they had.
you couldn’t stop to smell the flowers you saw growing in yujing terrace as they stormed behind you, forcing you to once again leap over the railing into the water below you.
you almost drowned that day.
the people of liyue would toss things over the side if they saw you popping up for air, aiming to hit you in the head and send you sinking to the ocean floor.
they almost succeeded in that plan multiple times, creating cuts and bruises on your face from their tables and chairs.
you didn’t even make it to land that night.
your body ached. you were exhausted. you let the water carry you to wherever it wanted to.
except for inzauma.
only the gods knew what would be in store for you there. you either died by the hands of its citizens or by the blade of the ruthless shogun archon.
luckily, the storm seemed to read your mind and kept you away from the set of islands at all costs.
and so you drifted off, away from the cities that had attacked you.
all because you looked like someone they worshipped. you didn’t even know who it was. they were never mentioned in any of the lore you read back home.
so that was how you ended up here on the coast of an island separated from the rest of the world. musk reef was what you remembered it being called.
luckily, no one would find you here. and if they did, they’d have to enter the spiral abyss to take you.
the portal seemed to warp as you stepped inside it, swallowing you and leaving no trace behind.
unlike the floor select screen you grew used to, you were met with a long corridor, empty and quiet with the only sounds being the soft dripping of water from the portal behind you. a staircase was what the corridor led you to.
at least it was nice and quiet here.
and if the monsters that occupied this tower were to kill you?
at least they wouldn’t scream words of damnation that you could understand at you.
you lead yourself to believe that the monsters in the spiral abyss would kill you. you built up the image in your mind of your body being ruthlessly attacked by arrows and pyro slimes. you imagined being beat around by wooden shields and axes while being pelted by electro, hydro, and cryo elements alike.
it was a strange sensation, walking towards your death, that is. unlike in the movies you had seen at home, there wasn’t a sense of foreboding or fear in your body. you felt nothing but peace. you had long prepared yourself for this moment since you stepped foot in teyvat.
so when you reached the top of the stairs, ignoring the sounds you would hear from the corridors that lined the walls, you were more than shocked to see a hoard of monsters standing before you, unmoving and far from attacking.
you didn’t say anything. in all fairness, what would you have said to them? you weren’t just going to offer your life on a silver platter, there was some semblance of self-preservation in you.
luckily, you didn’t have to make a decision.
the monsters, namely the abyss mages hovering in front of them, began to float towards you. they stopped just in front of you before moving into a deep bow, their staffs spinning aimlessly beside them.
“your grace,” the hydro mage greeted, sending a shiver down your spine.
that title haunted your thoughts ever since you arrived in teyvat. its people would curse you in the name of “their grace” and swear on their name that they would hunt you down.
“please don’t call me that,” you managed to whisper, prompting the mage to look up at you. the hydro mage seemed to hesitate for a moment before its shield disappeared, allowing it to get closer to you without the bubbling sound of water separating the two of you.
“if… i may ask,” it began, bowing its head once more, “is there a reason you would like to be addressed differently…?”
its question was just as hesitant as it seemed before lowering its shield. there was something else it was hiding, that much you could gather.
“you already know, don’t you?”
“… of course.”
figures. if every person in teyvat knew of your existence, why wouldn’t the seemingly omnipotent creatures know as well?
“if i may,” the cryo mage chimed in, having lowered its shield as well, “the cretins of teyvat have convinced you that you are not worthy of your title.”
“they… what?” you muttered in response. the mage nodded, moving forward to float beside the hydro mage.
“their actions have convinced you that you do not deserve your title,” the cryo mage repeated. “ever since your descent on teyvat, they have been worshipping a nonexistent entity. they have turned their back on the true creator.”
you could gather what it was trying to tell you, but you were far from accepting it. even though all of the creatures of the spiral abyss, the ones from the corridors lining the stairway included, were standing around you, ready to wait at your beck and call, you couldn’t accept it.
“i… i’m sorry, but i think you have the wrong person.”
“we can assure you we don’t. give us a chance to prove it, your grace.”
as soon as the traveler entered the mysterious archway, they found themselves in front of a towering staircase. the floor they stood on was covered in a thin layer of water which made quiet splashing sounds with each step they took.
they summoned their sword once they reached the top, having been met with a few slimes that hopped around the arena.
and with each floor they passed, the more monsters they found at the mercy of their blade. they had grown numb to the cries of the creatures, unbothered as they surpassed each chamber.
there had been a total of twelve floors, each one progressively harder than the last. however, that did not deter them. instead, it fueled them to keep going.
and as the final abyss herald fell to its knees, its weapon clattering to the floor as its body disappeared into yellow sparks, the traveler found themselves climbing one last stairway. the walk was quiet, save for the light sounds of their shoes clicking against the steps.
what greeted them at the top was another room, this one devoid of any monster. instead, a single person sat atop a throne, sobbing into garments.
their body was covered in, what the traveler could only describe as, godly attire. their shoulders were covered in a white shawl that had been decorated with gold accents. the rest of their clothes had a similar design, framing the person in a sort of heavenly aura.
“excuse me?” the traveler called, their words barely escaping their quivering lips. the person on the throne jumped, their cries stopping abruptly as they looked up at the blond(e).
“you…” they muttered before their voice turned into a harsh growl. “you!”
the traveler was frozen in their place, their sword having long dropped from their hand. the person on the throne stood up before walking towards them, each step more menacing than the last.
and when they stood directly in front of the blond(e), a single sentence came from their mouth.
“you have committed a cardinal sin against the creator.”
Can you imagine how weird it must feel to feel time passing at a much much slower rate than literally everyone else? Because your body and mind are still used to our world’s time, but in Teyvat 1 Earth minute = 1 Genshin hour.
You’re just existing, meanwhile the acolytes are literally crying on their knees, begging you to eat something. “It’s been weeks since you ate!” They say. “Is the food not to your liking?”
Meanwhile you’re just like
But I just ate a few hours ago.
Sleeping is even worse. To all of the acolytes you’ve been up for who-knows-how-long. Honestly, you put Jean and Ganyu to shame with how long you refuse to rest. What do you mean you’re not at all tired? You’ve been up for almost a month straight! Do not make them literally tie you to the bed, hoping that you’ll finally get some sleep.
And when your body gets the 9 hours of sleep you need, you are shocked to see the entire cult in utter chaos. Like some real “Lord of the flies” shit. And the second they see you awake again, they’ve back on their knees, crying about how much they missed you.
You suddenly understand why they are clinging to you every possible second. If they decide to absolutely lose their collective shit every time you take a nap, who knows what they’ll do when you want some time away from them. To you it’s only been like two or three days, meanwhile they’re convinced that you have abandoned them as the seasons begin to change.
The foul legacy piece as promised :D i had to make it into two parts though djskeneoej
Summary: Foul Legacy had meant to hunt the imposter wearing the All-Creator’s face. Neither he nor you expect him to do what he does.
Warnings: blood and death are mentioned, reader is not having a good time.
It has been chasing you for an hour now.
A looming figure, flashes of dark armour and the shining stars, low growls and hissed threats, its steps silent and quieter than possible for a being its size.
It has been chasing you for an hour now, all in the name of an All-Creator you do not know about. It is the same All-Creator everyone has shunned you for, naming you as a liar and thief and a sinner for your supposed crime. From Mondstadt to Liyue to Inazuma, you’ve received nothing but scorn and hateful words, cruel hands with crueler intentions reaching for your neck to offer you— helpless, innocent you— as a lamb brought to slaughter.
You could not go to the other nations, whose lands and plains and mountains you were unfamiliar with, thus you found yourself once more in Liyue, trekking through the abandoned Mingyun Village.
You had thought it would be safe— at least, safe enough for you to spend one night there, just enough for you to get your bearings back and make a plan, but—
You had not expected for the 11th Harbinger to show up, awaiting and ever so ready to spill your blood. The Polar Star you had so eagerly got him for him months before already in hand, as ready as its owner to hurtyou.
Perhaps he thought it would be better, perhaps he thought it would be easier, but eventually, Childe turned to Foul Legacy and has been after you for an hour now, ever so often telling you of how big of a mistake you’ve made.
This is my face! You longed to scream until your throat was raw, until your voice was hoarse and everyone heard you loud and clear and understood that this is your real face, that you are no liar and no thief and no sinner. This is myface!
“For how long do you plan to hide?” Foul Legacy’s voice rings through the torn down cottages and old trees, and you are barely able to swallow down the cry bubbling in your chest. Fear coats your throat like ash, bitter and cold.
I don’t want to die.
“Do you truly believe I’ll let you live after this? After your disrespect?” He is getting closer, and there is nowhere left to run— nowhere he can’t reach you, that is. “Death is what you deserve, little thief. Stealing the All-Creator’s face… I never thought that day would come, ha! But you… you really didn’t think this through, huh?”
I don’t want to die.
A slight rustle, the clicking of his claws, and then—
Ashriek is wrenched from your throat, your vision dotted black and your hands shaking as they reach for the arrow striking through your knee. He—!
I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to dieplease.
The blood that spills from you isn’t red, but it is nighttime and you can’t see, can’t hear, past the pain pulsing from your knee. Desperate pleas tumble from your mouth, tears leaving cold tracks on your face.
You don’t see it, but Foul Legacy does.
You scramble back when he reaches for you, or try to at least. His hands are the ones shaking but you don’t notice, and when he does finally clasp those claws around your arms you can’t even bring yourself to beg anymore. Tears, tears, tears, that’s all you’ve known since you got here and it’s how you will die as well, resented until the very end.
Something in you, tender and still hopeful, cracks at that.
You are sobbing like a child, chest heaving and shoulders shaking. You don’t even realize that he’s not attacking you, that he’s only holding you so close to him and trying his best to comfort you. The words he says, frantic yet gentle, can’t get through the panic clouding your head like cotton.
But the rumbling beneath your frame does manage to get your attention.
His body is vibrating, holding you in his lap. He so often nudges your flushed, wet cheeks with his face, the strangest noise noise you’ve heard coming from him.
Is he… purring?
He is.
He is also trying to comfort you of all things, the purrs tapering off into him stumbling over his words as he apologizes and tell you you are safe with him, he won’t hurt you, he’s so, sosorry.
You are confused— of course you are!— and you really don’t believe him, not when everyone and he had been all too happy to chase and hurt you, to try and kill you, but you don’t dare speak.
You don't— you can’t trust him. Not yet. Not him or— or the Tsaritsa he says will protect you.
The silence of the Northland Bank made Childe feel restless. Business was slow today and there was no debt to collect much to his dismay. He flopped his head onto his desk and groaned. When he enlisted into the Fatui at his father’s behest, reviewing subordinate reports was NOT what he had in mind. This work is beneath him, the warrior decided. Unable to take the feeling of restlessness any longer, he rose from his leather chair and strode out of the Snezhnayan bank in search of battle.
….
Gallivanting through the golden fields of Lisha, the harbinger cleaned out several treasure hoarder camps as a warm up. They were far too easy and ever since his run-in with the Traveler, he has yet to find himself another worthy adversary. This fact made Childe sigh deeply. How was he going to get stronger now? Once he reached the top of the hill, he heard loud rumbling growls. There, at the bottom of the hill three geovishap hatchlings were running circles around you and a small figure hiding behind your back. The sight of you, the Divine Creator, took his breath away. But just as he was about to step in and rescue his damsel in distress, you raised your bow and shot an arrow directly into a hatchling’s eye. One down, two to go.
He expected nothing less from his fierce Creator and seeing as you had the situation under control, Tartaglia decided to sit back and enjoy the show. The seasoned Snezhnayan soldier was impressed by your accuracy, he could tell by your stiff movements that you haven’t been practicing archery for that long but your technique was perfect and he briefly wondered who your teacher was. What a talented Goddess you were!
Growing up in the eternal winters of Snezhnaya, people needed to be in constant movement to survive or the frostbite would claim them. As a child, Ajax loved the snow and would make snow angels with his baby sister Tonia, but at night, the boy was frightened stiff by the howling winds that would blow past their home. To ease his fears, his mother would often recount tales of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa and the Divine Creator, his favorites being the ones when they were children, just like him. The legend that his mother retold the most was when the Cryo Archeon mercilessly teased the Divine for being small, calling her ‘little goddess’ and this caused the Creator to cry. She cried and cried and wouldn’t stop crying until her tears collected into a hole nearby and turned into lake Baikal, the very lake where he and his father went ice fishing. As an adult, he looks back at the short time he spent in childhood fondly and just then, a thought occurs to him, if you granted him godly power as you have with your other disciples, his quest for conquering the world would be within his grasp. With this new goal in mind, he is determined now more than ever to become your apostle.
When the other hatchinglings noticed their fallen brethren, the remaining beasts bared their fangs and snarled. In a coordinated attack, the two vishaps dug their heels into the ground and charged. Shifting your eyes between your targets, you anticipated their movements and fired two arrows in quick succession. The creatures were dead before they hit the ground.
Sensing that the danger has now passed, you let out a shaky breath. You’ve never killed anything in your life before and before the nausea kicks in, you hear someone clapping for you, “not bad… not bad at all, Your Grace!” Strolling casually down the hill was the 11th Harbinger, Childe.
You shot him an incredulous look with your arms raised, “Childe, you were here this whole time and you didn’t think of helping me?!” What the hell, dude that’s not cool at all, you thought to yourself.
He shrugged his shoulders and arrogantly smirked, “it looked like you had it under control. Besides, I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you if it got THAT bad.”
“Oh yeah?” You sneered, “tell that to your brother.” Jabbing your thumb behind you, you gestured to the little Snezhnayan boy crying softly.
“Brother!” The child cried, rushing toward the red headed man. The swagger that Ajax was carrying immediately dissipated as he picked Teucer up in his arms and held him close. Ajax was stunned, his thoughts were so consumed by you that he didn’t even notice that Teucer was in danger. This made him feel all the more grateful and humbled that you saved his little brother’s life and all the more enraged at himself for not protecting his family as he should have.
“I found him being chased by a swarm of geovishap hatchlings, I guess he disturbed their nest.” You said softly while tenderly rubbing Teucer’s back.
“I was so scared…” The boy cried onto his big brother’s shoulder. Childe in response held him tighter and buried his nose into Teucer’s hair. He smells just like home and to think he almost lost him….
“All that matters is that you’re safe now,” he said softly. “It’s been a long day, why don’t we go back to my house?” Teucer’s eyelids suddenly grew heavier and yawned, “can she come too?”
You glanced at the harbinger who nodded his head. You smiled gently at the boy, “yeah, I’ll come with you.”
By the time you all reached Liyue the waxing moon was revealing itself high in the sky. Not much was said during the trek as neither of you wanted to wake the sleeping boy who was snoring quietly on his shoulder. When you finally arrived at his home, it came as no surprise to you that his penthouse suite was luxurious as hell.
“Stay right here, I’ll be right back.” He whispers and carefully walks to his master bedroom and tucks Teucer in bed. Quietly closing the door, he makes his way over to you, only to find you walking around his living room with hands behind your back as if you were touring a curated art gallery. Finding the sight amusing, he chuckles. “If you keep walking around like that I’ll have to charge you an entrance fee.”
Caught red-handed, your back straightened immediately in response and you smiled bashfully, “your home is so beautiful, I didn’t want to break anything.”
Tartaglia shrugged and stood in front of you, “these things here are replaceable.” He put his hand on your cheek and ran his thumb across your skin. “But you and my brother are not. I… should’ve helped you,” blue eyes filled with regret, he cast them downward in shame. “Well..” you began, leaning into his touch and placing your hand onto top of his, “it’s as you said. I did have everything under control and… I daresay I might be a better shot than you.” You claimed with a face full of mirth. Ajax let out a genuine laugh and turned to gaze at you. “Let me take you to dinner… as thanks for saving Teucer.”
The poor little goddess didn’t stand a chance against him for you stared too deeply into the abyss of his ocean eyes and got swept away in his riptide.
“Ok.”
….
AN: Stay tuned for part 2. I may or may not make part 2 more explicit and if I do, I’ll be posting that version on Archive of our own.
The creation of life has always fascinated Albedo. Being an alchemist, he has the power to create life from chalk but while he is considered a genius amongst his peers; he still finds himself deeply unsatisfied. He realizes that there is still much to learn about the workings of the universe and this unquenchable thirst for knowledge has led him to research as many topics as possible with alchemy and chemistry being his areas of expertise. Medicine and biology are also areas of interest to him but the human body is a mystery in and of itself with few advancements being made in the fields.
The sick and the injured of this world depend on healers to relieve them of their ailments but there is little understanding as to why some people still die despite being healed and why healed people keep getting sick over and over again.The people of Teyvat have a very limited understanding of the human body and only through the use of autopsies, have they been able to make conjectures about the functions of the organs that reside within their bodies.
When you told Albedo that you were a nursing student in your old life, he made the assumption that you were much like the Deaconess Barbara, who was a healer and a midwife. But to his surprise, your nursing went beyond what he understands nursing to be and your level of knowledge in anatomy and physiology is far greater than anyone in Teyvat. So, when you offered to teach him everything you knew about nursing and medicine, he all but jumped at the opportunity to learn from you.
….
It was only a few more minutes until you were expected to arrive in his lab and he wanted to make a good first impression on you. The chief alchemist hurried to make the final finishing touches to his workstation with plenty of paper and pencils, a chalkboard and a lit fireplace. He would hate for his dear Creator to get cold…After doing one last inspection of his lab, he heard your footsteps approaching. There, peaking your adorable head out the side of his lab he saw you dressed in a warm sweater with leggings and boots.
As the two of you locked eyes, he saw the lights in your eyes brighten and you greeted him with a warm embrace and a loving smile which Albedo couldn’t help but blush at. He could feel the crystalflies in his stomach begin to flutter once again and he thought back to the first time he felt this sensation when he met you in the Acting Grand Master’s office. At first he thought he was having indigestion but according to Timaeus, people feel this way when they harbor romantic feelings for one another. When the kreideprinz heard this, he chalked it up to being nothing more than old wive’s tales but as he was staring into the depths of your boundless eyes, he was beginning to have his doubts.
When you set your heavy book bag down with a thunk onto his pine table, you took in the sights of his lab. It was much cleaner than you expected it to be and the game did not do his lab justice. While Genshin Impact gave you the impression that his lab would be cold, sparse and unforgiving with a continuous draft from the frigid mountain air, it was actually quite cozy with lab equipment and bookshelves lining the walls of his cave.
“You would think a world filled with magic would have funner textbooks but it turns out they’re just as boring and god-awful as the ones from my world,” you began while unloading Sumeruian medical textbooks and notebooks from your bag. “You guys are pretty close in understanding most of the body’s functions but you’re still missing vital pieces of information. The pancreas and kidneys are so much more important than you realize and your understanding of women’s bodies… shameful.” You sighed and shook your head.
The recluse nodded in agreement, “indeed, there is very little of what we understand about the human body and some notions healers have are antiquated and even misogynistic but with you, you stand to give the medical world a much needed breath of fresh air. I am quite eager to learn from you.” It was your turn to blush in embarrassment and you chuckled nervously, scratching the back of your head.
“I just graduated nursing school before I came here, so I’m not exactly an expert… But I’ll do my best.”
….
Time passed unnoticed by the young couple in the Dragonspine cave as the two were deeply engaged in scientific discussion. Needless to say; Albedo was thoroughly impressed by you and your old world. Not once did he consider the possibility that life could occur at the smallest possible level, beyond what is visible to the naked eye. Cell theory excited him and this new discovery could be the breakthrough he needed in his pursuit of alchemy. When he asked you how to see these cells, you did your best to describe a microscope to him and tried to draw it on paper. Taking your sketch from your hands with great care, he put it into his jacket pocket. He’ll have Sucrose and Timaeus work on a prototype immediately.
The genius also found your insights into the human body fascinating. While you didn’t consider yourself to be an expert in anatomy and physiology, your explanations were very straightforward. He could tell that cardiology, the study of the heart and blood vessels, was your favorite body system and seeing your passion inspired him. And if he was being honest with himself…you’ve never looked more beautiful to him than when you were lecturing him on the systemic and pulmonary circulation of the heart.
When you wanted to demonstrate how to do a cardiac assessment, you asked him to create a stethoscope for you. After drawing the tool, Albedo was easily able to create it for you.
Holding the stethoscope in your hands, you marveled at his creation. “This is amazing, Bedo! Alchemy really is incredible.” The blonde was flattered by your praise and gave a small smile at the nickname you gave him, “it wasn’t that difficult to create. What does it do?” He asked.
You held the tool up to him, “this is the bread and butter of all doctors and nurses from my old world. We use it to auscultate, to listen, to the heart, lung and bowel sounds of our patients and based on what we hear, it can give us a lot of insight on what’s going on inside their bodies.”
You handed him the stethoscope, “put this on, I’ll show you.” After placing the earpieces into his ears, you took the bell of the stethoscope, put it under your sweater and held it to the lower left sternal border of your chest. His teal eyes widened in amazement when he heard the ‘lub-dub’ sounds of your heart as clear as day and like a lullaby, your heart beat soothed him. You watched with eyes filled with love and warmth for the young man across from you when you saw him close his eyes and relax his shoulders.
For the longest time, Albedo thought that relationships were troublesome and taxing but as he stood listening to the beat of your heart, he decided that you would be worth the effort.
It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve landed in Monstadt and apparently, people think that I’m their God. I’ve tried to tell people that I’m not who they think I am but they vehemently disagreed, insisting that they can feel me in their hearts and souls, whatever that means. They told me that everyone can feel my ‘divine presence’ and it sometimes manifests as either the little voice inside their heads that tells them right from wrong or like warm fuzzy feelings of love and comfort.
But those with visions are the people who can really feel the divine connection as they call it. It turns out that the characters I had in my in-game roster for Genshin Impact feel a particularly strong connection to me and have actually received the weapons and artifacts that I gave them. And those weapons and artifacts have actually improved their strength, health and their mental fortitude. In fact, the characters are SO proud of their connection to me that they call themselves my ‘apostles’ and the characters that I didn’t get but are still playable in the game call themselves my ‘acolytes’.
Oh, and get this, I can use the in-game teleport waypoints! I guess my past self set them up before I was killed 500 years ago and I’m the only one who can use them, all I have to do is imagine the waypoint in my mind and it takes me there. It really creeps me out that I was murdered, I guess 500 years whe…….’
- a loud crash interrupts your journaling. Looking up from your table at Good Hunter you see Bennet tripping over his shoe laces and knocking himself into your table. “Ow ow ow…” groaning in pain, he rubs his head and looks up to see your face. Your head blocking the sun behind you gives you the appearance of wearing a halo.
Bennet couldn’t believe his luck, first he missed the night of your descent cus he was trapped in a domain and now he makes a right fool of himself in front of you. Eyes watering, he feels himself beginning to cry.
Sensing his distress, you get out of your chair and kneel next to him. “Bennett! Are you ok? Let me go get you some ice…”
“No, no. I’m fine,” he sniffles, wiping his eyes with his gloves, “it’s nothing I can’t handle, Your Grace.” You frowned, you loved Bennett. He was such a sweet boy and you didn’t understand why he was plagued with such bad luck. The way people treated him pissed you off which reminds you to punch Royce if you ever saw him again.
You rubbed Bennett’s arm and nodded, “ok. Well…. since you’re here, you might as well help me eat some of this food. For some reason, Sara gave me waay too much even though I told her I only wanted a satisfying salad.”
Bennett blushed at you touching him so tenderly and being offered to sit at your table, his connection to you has never felt stronger. Getting into the chair, he marveled at the spread,“woah, Sara really did go all out for you huh?” The wooden table was almost overflowing with food; sticky honey roast, crispy potato shrimp platter, flaming red bolognese and a bunch of other dishes he didn’t even recognize. Grabbing a plate, you fixed Bennett a plate with a bit of everything, “eat up! A strapping lad like you needs to grow up big and strong.” You let out a chuckle.
The young adventurer was touched that you cared so much about him and taking the plate from your hands, he thanked you and dug in. It seems like it was only yesterday when he became your apostle. He was adventuring in Dragonspine and was in a nasty battle against a frost lawachurl and he was losing badly. His pyro vision helped chip away at the lawachurl’s armor but it kept regenerating before he could get a good hit on it.
His vision was starting to get blurry and his head was throbbing from being slammed into the ground one too many times.
Was this it? He thought as the sheer cold nipped at his nose. Was this how I finally meet my end? He supposed that this would be a good death as he’s lived his life in the pursuit of adventure. But as he was about to make peace with his departure from this world, a feeling of divine power overtook him. There in his hand once a dull blade, now the legendary Aquila Favonia that the fabled hero Venessa once wielded. Armed with his new sword, he easily defeated the lawachurl who dropped a very rare artifact set he later discovered was called noblesse oblige. Holding the blue satin flower in hands, he thanked you for believing in him and for granting him the title of apostle.
Leaning back in your seat, you groaned, “sooo much food.” Bennett laughed as you patted your belly. “Yeah Sara really outdid herself” he agreed.
“Mmmmhmm. Why don’t you take the rest of this to your dads? There’s no way I could finish this and I would hate for all this food to go to waste.”
Bennett was yet again touched by your kindness and consideration for him and his family, what a wonderful Creator you are! Grabbing to-go boxes from Sara he began dumping the food into the containers.
“By the way, I wanted to thank you,” the explorer started. “For what?” You asked with eyebrows raised.
“For giving me the Aquila Favonia and for you know… for not abandoning me when I needed you most” he confessed the last part in a small voice, fighting the urge to not burst into tears.
You gave Bennett a sincere look and embraced the shaking boy. The feeling of your arms around him was the final straw and the dam inside him broke. He immediately returned your embrace with sobs flooding out from him, his tears staining your shirt.
Resting your chin on his head, you rubbed his back and cooed.
“Bennett, I would never leave you. You’re every bit a part of me as I am a part of you.” You kissed the top of his platinum blonde hair and held him like a mother would for her child. He gripped the back of your shirt tighter in response and sobbed even harder.
Holding the distraught teen in your arms, you realized that the characters in this game are, in fact, very real and that there was no going back to your old life. Not that you wanted to anyways…
Step 1: Take you to Dawn Winery. This will be easy as you’ve been wanting to go every since you came to Monstadt but has never had the chance to.
Step 2: Take you to meet Master Diluc and have him give you a tour. This step will also be easy because Diluc is a devout man who has funded the development and day-to-day operations of many temples and shrines dedicated to you and probably won’t say no to you.
Step 3: Sneak into Master Diluc’s personal wine cellar and steal the oldest dandelion vintage he can get his hands on. This will be the most difficult step because all of the staff know who he is and have been instructed to call security on him.
Lastly, step 4, Venti’s favorite step: Drink.
This plan was risky as it could get him banned from the Angel’s Share but as the young people nowadays say; no risk no reward. With that in mind, the wine connoisseur had you dressed in your cutest clothes that would be sure to sweep Diluc off his metaphorical feet and he escorted you to the winery.
You were very suspicious of Venti’s intentions as he walked a little too quickly toward the winery. However, you were also eager to get there and see the place for yourself. Not to mention that the owner was a Grade-A hottie (pun intended) and you wanted the chance to get to know him better. He was your favorite standard banner character after all.
You both finally make it to the winery when you see a head of bright red hair on the terrace. Dressed in his iconic black coat he appeared to be in a meeting of some kind but sensing your presence he turned his head sharply in your direction. He promptly dismissed the people surrounding him and made his way toward you.
Diluc couldn’t believe his eyes. There the Divine Goddess stood looking as lovely as you did. As he was about to kneel and give you praise, the thorn in his side spoke, “Master Diluc! Look who I brought with me! Our darling Creator here was hoping to get a tour of your illustrious establishment.” The bard said as he placed his hands on your shoulders.
How dare he touch you so casually! Diluc thought to himself but fighting the strong urge to scowl and berate him for his disrespect, he instead gave you a look of reverence.
“It would be my utmost honor to give you a tour, Your Grace,” he uttered, putting his hand to his chest.
You nodded and smiled, “great! Where do we start?”
Diluc gestured to a dirt path to the vineyards, “right this way.” As you and Diluc walked toward the path, Venti hung back. “You two go on ahead, I gotta use the washroom.” He turned and strode to the winery. Immediately sensing something was up, the tycoon turned toward a guard that was close by and whispered, “don’t let him out of your sight.” The guard nodded and quickly followed the mischievous bard.
…
You’ve never learned about so much wine in your entire life. Walking through the vineyards, Diluc told you all about the history of the winery, the types of grapes they used and how they’re processed. Seeing Diluc’s passion for his family’s business, you feel a little guilty for not appreciating wine sooner as you’ve always bought 2 buck chucks* at the grocery store.
As the two of you circled back to the winery building, you cheekily jested him, “and here I thought you guys made wine by stomping around in a giant vat of grapes.”
His lips quirked slightly upward, “grape treading? No, we haven’t needed to do that since my late father industrialized the processing.” His face grew into a melancholy expression, “my…. brother and I used to grape-tread when we were kids but that’s all in the past now.”
You offered him a look of sympathy and patted him on his arm, “families can be tough.”You then sighed, “it’s too bad I can’t do it. The movies make it look like so much fun.” Just when he was about to ask you what a ‘movie’ was, a voice cut him off.
“We can easily arrange that, your Grace.”
Both of your attentions turned toward the source of the voice. The chairman of the winery, Elzer, greeted you with a bow, “we just harvested some fresh grapes this morning and we have the equipment needed. Give me a few minutes to set it up.”
“That’s awesome!” “Elzer, I don’t think -”
“Nonsense,” he interrupted with a gleam in his eyes, “for who are we to deny the requests of the Goddess Above.”
You beamed while Diluc glared.
Around 10 minutes later, you and Diluc were led to the side of the vineyards that had a large vat full of grapes, a step stool and a wash basin with soap. You were giddy with excitement and quickly rolled up your bottoms, took off your shoes and washed your feet. Stepping into the vat and feeling the grapes pop, you squealed.
“Ooooh, they’re so slimy!” You let out a joyful laugh as you stomped around on the grapes. The Darknight Hero standing next to the vat couldn’t help but stare at you with love and tenderness in his eyes.
“Diluc get in here, you have to do this with me!” You all but ordered. He shook his head, “I’m alright, Your Grace. You go have fun.”
Lacing your hands together, you pouted your lips, “pleaaaase”
Ensnared by your charms, the pyro user sighed and started to take off his coat and gloves. “If you insist.” It wasn’t long until he joined you in the vat. You cheered when he started smashing the grapes alongside you.
But as more and more grapes turned into juice, the vat became more and more slippery. When you stomped a little too hard, you lost your footing but just as you were about to fall into the sea of grape juice, Diluc caught you by your waist and held you against him.
Face to face with the woman of his dreams with lips nearly touching, Diluc’s heart was set aflame. He felt his ears begin to burn and avoiding eye contact he asked, “a-are you alright?” He inwardly cursed himself for stuttering like a schoolboy but in response you leaned your head in to touch his forehead with yours.
“I am now.”
The both of you stomped the rest of the grapes holding onto each other in a comfortable silence, neither one of you wanted to break the spell you put each other in.
…..
Not far off from you and Diluc, Elzer stealthily took photos with his kamera while Adelaide watched the scene with interest.
“We’re going to make so much money off this batch of wine.”
The head maid cooed at the couple, “look at how cute they are! I don’t think I’ve seen Master Diluc look so smitten.”
Bonus scene:
The tone deaf bard belted out a diabolical laugh as he held his treasure in the air. “And Diluc thought he was so clever by having a guard tail me.” He said to the wind. Sitting in the hands of his own statue, he uncorked the bottle. He took a big swig but the second the wine hit his tongue, he promptly spat it out, the wine staining his white blouse. It tasted absolutely rancid, inspecting the bottle he noticed a folded note taped to the bottom of the bottle with his name on it. The note said:
‘Dear Venti, If you are reading this then you have been somewhere you are not supposed to be and if you so much as breathe in my winery’s general direction, I will have you permanently banned from the Angel’s Share and every bar in Mondstadt.
~ Diluc Ragnvindr’
Well, shit.
Author’s note: *2 buck chuck is wine in the US that is only $2 and usually tastes terrible.
When you asked Venti for lessons in archery, you had no idea what to expect. You honestly didn’t think he would take your request seriously but, color you impressed as you approached the Knight’s of Favonius archery range that he somehow closed for just the two of you. Standing at the starting line, Venti stood in all his capped glory with a quiver at his feet and a shit-eating grin on his face. “Good morning, your Grace. Are you ready to learn the deadly yet elegant art of the bow?”
You grinned and nodded, “sure am, I’m gonna Katniss Everdeen this shit!”
Even though Venti didn’t know who this ‘Katniss’ was, he chuckled at your enthusiasm and tossed you two leather pieces. “Here, put these on. I would hate for my dear fledgling to injure herself on the first day. Lest her wings be clipped before she makes her plunge out the nest.”
Looking at the armor, you figured one went on your arm but you couldn’t figure out where the other went. “Where do these go, Venti?”
The bard quickly closed the distance between you. Holding your nondominant hand with great care, he tied the arm guard onto you as his calloused fingertips grazed your skin with the lightest of touches. “You use this hand to hold the bow and this,” he slid the chest guard over you like a shirt and tightened the straps so the chest plate sat over your breast on the same side as your bow holding hand. “Is your chest guard, to protect you from the string’s recoil.”
“Ok.” you spoke softly. Based on Venti’s Archon and story quests, you knew he had a playful and mischievous nature but has he always been this touchy? Not that you minded but his feather-light touches sent shivers down your spine in a not-so-wholesome way and he made you feel breathless.
For once, the tone deaf bard was quiet as he made the final adjustments to your gear,“how do I look?” Your arms open wide waiting for his approval.
Lord Barbatos took a good hard look at you. You look just as beautiful as the first time he laid eyes on you all those millennia ago. When news came of your untimely death, it brought him to his knees and he cried. He hadn’t shed that many tears since he lost his nameless bard in the battle against Decarabian. But the hole in his heart that you created was too deep and it was partly the reason why he stepped back from his responsibilities as the Anemo Archon. He needed some time to grieve the loss of his beloved. Though, when he heard that the prophecy of your resurrection was finally coming to fruition, he used his godly anemo powers to ensure that the Teyvat night skies were clear for your arrival. His heart still aches over the fact you don’t remember him or the times you’ve spent together but he’s happy that you’re finally with him now and nothing could keep him away from you.
Leather is a good look on you, Venti decides and truth be told he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing you in nothing but leather…. But before he gets himself too riled up, he clears his throat, “you look good, let’s get started shall we?”
After teaching you basic terms and proper form, it was time for you to shoot.
Copying Venti’s stance as best you could, you nocked an arrow on your bow and fully drew the string back,“how’s this?”
He shook his head, “no no no, your legs are too close together. It’s like this…”
The bard went and stood directly behind you, he put his leg between yours and nugged them to the correct spacing with his foot. He pressed his chest against your back while he held your bow arm steady with one hand and held your hip with the other. “There.. that’s much better. Now aim and shoot,” he all but whispered. His breath tickling the side of your neck and ear.
If you thought you were flustered before, you’re now on the verge of short circuiting. In spite of that, you followed his instruction.Taking a deep albeit shaky breath and ignoring the intense arousal you have for this man, you took aim and loosed the arrow.
The arrow whizzed past the two of you as it made its home just a few centimeters shy of the X in the center of your target. You lowered your bow and gasped, “Wow! That’s amazing, you’re not a bad teacher after all, Venti.”
He huffed indignantly, “O ye, of little faith in me, my darling Creator.” He snaked his arms around your waist and nuzzled your hair, “for I would sooner harness the power of a million winds to bring down the islands of Celestia than to ever fail you.”
You leaned back into his embrace, “well lucky for you, I would never ask you to do anything so crazy. I’m just happy I get to spend time with you.”
TW: spoilers for character lore (especially Albedo)
Walking through the streets of Mondstadt was like walking straight into a fairytale. You always thought the game and its people were beautiful but seeing it up close and personal, rendered you speechless. However, the townspeople staring at you, kneeling as you passed by and whispering to themselves made you feel incredibly self conscious. You really regretted not wearing cuter pajamas. You grabbed Amber’s arm, “Amber they’re all staring at me, how much longer to headquarters?” Amber’s heart skipped a beat when she felt your hands on her skin, like a bride on her wedding day, she blushed.
“Oh! Uh- it’s not much further from here, just-just a little while longer. Though… I can’t really blame the people, your Grace. We’ve worshiped you for so long, seeing you in person is a truly transcendent experience, especially after your grand entrance last night.”
You raised your eyebrow at her, “grand entrance? What are you talking about?” As Amber recounted the events from last night, a feeling of unease started to build within you.
These people seriously think I’m their god? I’m not Jesus, I can’t turn water into wine or walk on water. What exactly do these people expect from me? You feel a wave of nausea as a thought occurs to you;
If the people of MY world started wars, witch-hunts and crusades in the name of their God, what horrors have the people of Tevyat done in MY name?
A grim expression fell upon your face but you quickly changed it as Amber finished her recountement. She smiled and pointed at the building a couple feet away.
“Here we are, the headquarters for the Knights of Favonius! Let’s get you some clothes and shoes and then you can meet the rest of the knights.”
You nodded your head weakly and approached the distinguished building.
……
Whether you decided to wear the knight of Favonius black dress or their black shirt and slacks, the clothes fit you perfectly and the boots were surprisingly comfortable. Fixing your hair in the style you wanted, you left the changing room and Amber escorted you to the office of the Acting Grand Master. Amber gave you a charming smile and led you through the door.
The first person you greet is….
Kaeya
When Kaeya Alberich was a child, he had his doubts about the existence of the Divine Creator. If the Creator was as kind and as merciful as the legends made her to be then why has she let the descendents of Khaenri'ah suffer as they did? For even though The Cataclysm happened 500 hundred years ago, the descendents of the fallen civilization lived in squalor, fighting for survival. But just as he has seen great suffering inflicted by one another, he also saw man’s capacity for love and goodness as seen living with his brother, Diluc and late father Crepus. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that people were responsible for their own actions and he couldn’t place ALL the blame on the gods’ shoulders.
Truth be told, he really didn’t feel the Creator’s presence until that fateful stormy night when he received his vision. The weight of his lies was suffocating but as he held his cryo vision, he felt another presence within him. A small wisp of a feeling that gave him comfort and for the first time in a long time, he felt free. On days when the loneliness and burden of his lies felt too heavy for him to bear, he looked to his Divine Creator for solace.
When you and Kaeya made eye contact, you gave him a wide smile that made your eyes crinkle and you stretched out your hand to shake his. But instead of shaking your hand as you thought he would, he took your hand up to his lips and kissed it, his sharp periwinkle eye never leaving yours. You felt the blood rush to your cheeks and you smiled bashfully as you took your hand back and cradled it with your other hand to your chest.
Well, that’s adorable. Kaeya thought to himself as he playfully smirked. “Your highness, even in that drab Favonius uniform you look absolutely resplendent. It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”
You returned the expression in kind, “I’m sure you tell that to all the pretty boys and girls but the feeling’s mutual, Kaeya.”
“Oh no, I would never. I only have eyes for you. Say, have you eaten yet? When you’re done here, I know a fantastic little hole in the wall that has the most delectable wine. What do you say, just the two of us?”
With the blush still painted on your cheeks, you smiled, “that sounds wonderful.”
And so, as the two of you flirted back and forth. Your attention completely glued on Kaeya, you missed the vicious and jealous glares the cavalry captain was receiving from the other knights in the room.
Albedo
When Albedo heard the news of your impending arrival from his colleague, Mona, he found himself rereading his old master’s notes about the Divine Creator. His master was always tight-lipped about her and many years ago when they were venturing into a particularly deep domain, he asked Rhinedottir why she was so reserved about disclosing information about the Creator. Gold in response gave him a chilling stare and said nothing. The Goddess Above and Gold clearly have a history and a painful one at that, the Chalk Prince surmised. And if he had to guess, it most likely had to do with the destruction of Khaenri'ah and the Art of Khemia.
The day Albedo received his vision was the day that finally understood why his master never spoke of The Goddess Above. It was a cold day like any other in Dragonspine and he was knee deep into his research when he saw something glowing in his periphery. It was a geo vision and as he touched it, he felt a tidal wave of emotion wash over him. For a man who rarely feels anything, the Divine presence of your warmth overwhelmed him.
This must be the reason why Rhinedottir never spoke of you, the alchemist reflected as he inspected his vision. She was protecting you by keeping me from the truth because if I hadn’t received this vision, I might’ve stopped at nothing from learning the truth of this world even if it meant your demise, dear Creator.
Your constant presence in Albedo’s life gave him the reassurance that he was on the right path and the feeling of enlightenment he derives from you has pushed him forward in his quest to know the unknown.
When the two of you lock eyes, he’s suddenly transported back to that day he got his vision. Overwhelmed once again by you, making him speechless.
You gave him a gentle smile and a wave, “hello, you must be Albedo. It’s so nice to meet you, I’m…” You told him your sacred name that only the people in this room have now learned. Like Amber, he was honored and learning your name gave him the jolt he needed to finally find the words to speak to you.
“Your Grace, it is an honor to finally meet you as well. The display of your power last night was truly a sight to behold.” The chief alchemist said in his trademark soft voice.
You chuckled nervously and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, “that is high praise coming from you, thank you. You know, Amber and I saw Dragonspine as we traveled over here, that’s where your lab is isn’t it?”
The Kreideprinz nodded his head. He was impressed that you knew that and he wonders what else you knew of him and this world. “That is correct and if you like, I could give you a tour sometime when you’re free.”
Your eyes lit up in excitement and you beamed at him as you clasped your hands together. “That would be wonderful! I can’t wait to see it!”
Seeing you so enthusiastic about him gave him butterflies in his stomach and it was here that he knew that with you by his side, he could finally unlock the truth and meaning of this world.
The whole of Teyvat made preparations for you. Monstadt held all night viewing parties full of wine and cheese with bards singing in harmony of your praises. Liyue too, held viewings along with lighting their streets with beautiful candles and flowers. Even those privileged enough to access the Jade Chamber had it decorated in your honor. The archipelago of Inazuma all had their own unique ways of celebrating you. Some performed sacred rituals for your blessings while others watched the skies with fireworks at the ready.
All were hoping to catch a glimpse of your prodigious advent and all waited with bated breath. Even those in the dark depths of the abyss had eyes turned upward, their plans waiting to be set in motion.
But it was on the third night at 3 am that you made your appearance. With no cloud in sight the stars seemed to twinkle even brighter. Then, your constellation appeared, lighting every corner of the sky. A golden falling star, then streaked across the night and all too suddenly.. it was gone.
It all happened in a matter of seconds but not a single person who bore witness to this divine event would ever forget it for the rest of their lives. No one saw where the star landed as it’s light fizzled out too quickly for anyone too see but you crashed on an unsuspecting coast off of Monstadt.
….
Ok. OK. Maybe I should lay off the hard seltzers but it’s not my fault mango White Claws are so damn tasty. You thought to yourself as you took in your surroundings. You were on a beach, with sand between your toes around dawn by the looks of it, with tall cliffs on your left and right. You definitely remembered going to sleep in your own bed last night and your home is nowhere near a beach, so where on earth are you?
Groping yourself, you prayed that you had your phone but to no avail, you were both phoneless AND shoeless. Well, fine. I’ll just borrow someone else’s phone and Lyft back home I guess. Brushing the sand off your sweatpants and t-shirt as you stood, you started walking toward the path up the hill. As you made your way out of the sand, you heard wet plopping sounds behind you. You turned your head and to your utter surprise, a blue blob was heading toward you.
“No fucking way…” You whispered. A hydro slime?! You must be dreaming because there’s no way you’re really in Teyvat. Not wanting to wait and see if the slime was friendly, you had no other choice but to run out of the beach and up the hill.
Wow, I’m really out of shape. You thought to yourself as you were breathing heavily from ‘running.’ After losing the hydro slime, you found yourself walking along the path with a gentle breeze guiding you along. Most of the trees looked normal to you but upon closer inspection, one had a fruit that you recognized immediately. A sunsettia! Picking the fruit off the branch you bit into it. “Mmmmm!” It tastes like a cross between a peach, mango and apple but better. With sunsettia in hand, you trekked down the path and tried to make a plan.
If I’m really in Genshin, then I should try to make it to the nearest town. I spawned in the same place as Lumine…. did I replace her?! God, I hope not. Teyvat is doomed, if that’s the case. I can’t fight my way out of a paper bag, I’m a student not a soldier…
Too lost in your own thoughts, you didn’t notice a finger tapping your shoulder behind you. You let out a startled shriek as you you jumped into the air.
“Gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you.” A peppy voice told you. You turned around and making eye contact for the first time, the two of you spoke simultaneously.
“AMBER!?” You gasped.
The outrider in turn, immediately got on one knee and bowed to you. “Divine Creator! Please forgive me for startling you. I mean no offense.” Amber couldn’t believe herself. How dare she scare her dear creator like that. After she’s done for you and this is how you repay her?
“Ack! Amber, there’s really no need for you to do that.” You said as you tried to get her back up. “And I don’t know who this Divine Creator person is but my name is….” you told Amber your name and she gave you a look as if you had given her the greatest treasure in the world.
Amber was absolutely floored. Not only was she the first person to greet you on your arrival to Teyvat but you also graced her with your NAME. Your sacred name that even the oldest manuscripts had redacted and was thought to be lost to time. She felt the warmth of her dear creator bloom in her chest. Her pyro vision on her belt suddenly felt warmer.
Not sure what to make of your denial of your divine status Amber said, “W-well I know for a fact that you are the Divine Creator,” she put her hand on her chest, “I can feel it in my very soul. B-but in any case, let’s get you to Mondatadt. There are many people who are eager to meet you.”
You nodded your head, “that sounds great and maybe some clothes.” Amber looked down at your clothes and saw your dirty feet and gasped.
“How could I not notice sooner! Here, you must wear my shoes.” She immediately started unlacing her boots.
“No no no! It’s fine Amber really! I don’t mind being barefoot, in fact, now that I think about it… I feel strangely at peace walking among the trees and feeling the ground beneath me.”
The red knight gave you a soft smile and nodded. Re-lacing her boots she started walking, “the City of Freedom isn’t far from here. Allow me to be your escort, your grace.”
As the two of you started walking a gust of wind blew past you with the distant sound of impish laughter carried on its currents.
I’m rebranding my SAGAU works as Isekai AU because I think it falls more in that catagory. It’s much less ‘self-aware’ than I planned it to be. Whoops. I’ll keep the tags the same on my previous work but from now on it’s “isekai au.”
Please note: the first 4 fics should be read first and in order as future fics may refer back to information in these 4.
For the first time in a very long time, Mona Megistus was stumped. For her beloved and dependable scry glass has lately insisted on showing her a constellation that she did not recognize which was vexing because she knowsevery constellation under the Teyvat night sky no matter the season. Combing through her leather worn tomes with great care and frustration, she came to the unfortunate conclusion that she needed help.
“Hmmmm” she hummed to herself. I could go ask Albedo for his advice over lunch that he would treat me to but he’s currently at Dragonspine and I hate the sheer cold of that wretched place. I suppose the next best option would be Lisa.
While Lisa was not well versed in the arts of hydromancy, she is a very talented witch that even the old hag praised her of. With that in mind, Mona left her haphazard apartment and went off to the Favonius library. There, she found the violet sorceress dozing off in her office chair.
“Sothis is how the esteemed scholar of Sumeru spends her days?” Mona chuckled.
Lisa lazily opened her eyes and yawned. “Well, I’d be a lot more awake if there was anything to do today but it has been rather dull as of late.”
“Oh really? If that’s the case then I would like your input on something I’ve found.” Mona then described the events to Lisa and showed her the peculiar constellation with her scry glass. It was here that Lisa’s interest was peaked.
“I’ve seen this constellation before. In an ancient scroll.” Lisa was deep in thought as she looked into the glass. Several moments passed before Mona narrowed her eyes on Lisa. “What is it? What are you thinking?”
Lisa snapped her head toward the astrologer and grinned, “come with me.” She stood up from her chair and led Mona to a hidden door behind a bookcase that had an electro sigil softly glowing on its wooden surface. With a wave of her hand, the witch deactivated the sigil and led the hydromancer down its dark and stony path.
“Normally I would never let people into the restricted section of the library without Master Jean’s approval but I think the situation calls for it.”
Before Mona could make her response, the two were led into a room filled with books, scrolls and various antiquities. It was a dimly lit room with a strong smell of old parchment hanging in the air. Lisa enters the room first and makes her way toward a shelf stacked with scrolls of various sizes. “Here it is!” She gingerly picks up a yellowed scroll and rolls it out on a table. Looking over her shoulder, Mona could tell by the old Liyuean characters and illustration that it dates back to the Archon War. The illustration depicts a golden hooded figure surrounded by the seven Archons and on the cloak of the hooded figure was the very constellation seen on her scry glass. Sensing her connection to the person in the center, she knew exactly who it was for it was the Divine Creator. The Goddess Above, The Mother of Teyvat, The Envoy to the Heavens were some of the many names the dear Creator has taken.
Eyes wide with disbelief Mona asked, “what does this mean?”
The witch pointed at the constellation, “that there is her constellation. The text calls it a ‘Zodiac’ constellation and this document describes the Divine Creator’s resurrection. It roughly translates to ‘when her stars are lit, every corner of the night sky will bear witness to her descension.’ Do you realize what this could mean, Mona?! ’”
Mona’s eyes, unable to break away from the icon, says; “Yes, I do. How much time do you think it’ll be before she gets here?”
She shook her head, “I’m not sure. There’s nothing here that suggests a time.” Taking the scroll and gently rewrapping it the sorceress says, “well, my dear, I think it’s time we leave. Something tells me things are going to get very busy around here.”
AN: This is my first fanfic. I hope you like it, there’s more to come. Constructive but kind feedback is appreciated.
Summoning abyssal magic, the Abyssal Prince Aether casts a spell on you with ancient runes appearing on your skin. The feeling of foreign magic invading your body gives you a tingling sensation, the symbols softly glowing blue all over your face and body.
“What is this?!” You screeched in horror.
The prince smirks, “I severed your Divine connection to everyone. Every person across the globe is feeling it as we speak and think you’re dead.”
…..
At an unparalleled scale, every human, Archon and supernatural being across the globe felt the sever of your Divine connection. Like a punch to the gut, the wind was knocked out of them leaving a vast emptiness inside. They can no longer feel happiness, love or joy and all that was left was sadness and rage. “The Divine Creator is dead!” The people cried.
The governing bodies of the world; the Knights of Favonius, the Liyue Qixing, the Tri-Commissions and the Fatui are all struggling to keep their nations from erupting into complete chaos. With no news of where your body was and how you died, it wasn’t long until people were pointing fingers.
“I bet the Fatui had something to do with this.”
“No, it was Sumaru! My cousin told me they were experimenting on the Creator!”
“I don’t know, Fontaine has been awfully quiet…”
“I heard Monstadt was keeping the Creator for themselves. They are SO self righteous.”
“No way, those guys are pussies. Liyue definitely had something to do with it.”
“Inazuma!”
“Natlan!
The rumor mill was running at full speed and suspicions of one another was at an all time high. Tensions between nations was rising with political relations on the brink of collapse but luckily, all hope was not lost for the Honorary Knight emerges from the dungeon a week later to tell the world of what transpired in the cave.
….
When the Archons felt the sever, their initial reaction was despair. You just got resurrected and now they have to experience the grief of losing you, someone they’ve loved since the creation of Teyvat, all over again. They all thought that they had more time but once again, you’ve managed to slip through their fingers.
All of the Archons were grieving in their own ways within their respective nations when word came from Mondstadt that you were not, in fact, dead. They found this to be odd because it feels exactly as how they remembered it 500 years ago because the Divine Creator’s death does cause a severe cut-off from love and joy with a subsequently weaker residual Divine connection that returns to the world a couple hundred years later. But after hearing that the Abyss Order was behind this, white hot rage consumed them and they’ll be damned if they fail you again.
Zhongli
Zhongli was especially heartbroken when he felt the sever for the second time because he was the one who tasked himself with being your protector all those years ago and when he first heard of your resurrection, he felt as though he had been given a second chance at life. When he met your current incarnation for the first time at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, you took his breath away and before he knew it, he fell even harder for this version of yourself. He was staring somberly at the push and pull of the tide against the docks when Ganyu told him the details of your abduction. He should’ve known the Abyss Order was behind this, such a grievous transgression will not be tolerated. Unable to contain his fury, his draconic features began to manifest; eyes, hair and markings began glowing a brilliant shade of amber, nails elongating with pitch black scales darkening his hands and arms.
“Ganyu, send word to the Adepti of my council to meet me at Mt. Aocang. We’re waging war against the Abyss.” He commanded with the air and tone worthy of the Prime Adepti. Nodding her head, she immediately went to work notifying Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver and the Vigilant Yaksha.
Morax is back and with a vengeance.
Venti
In the Land of Song and Wind there was silence for the air that flowed throughout the land, once gentle and breezy, was now stagnant. There was no rustling of foliage amidst the trees and there was no music in the hearts of his people for what melody could they play that could accurately portray the depths of despair that they all feel.
The tone-deaf bard sits quietly with his legs to his chest on top of the highest point in Dragonspine, letting the frigid mountain air chill him to his core. He wants to feel numb, his heart hurts too much when he thinks about you. You with your cheeky quips and loving gaze, he never got the chance to tell you how he truly felt. He thought he had more time. He touches his lips and remembers when he pecked your temple and he curses himself for not taking a leap of faith and kiss you on the lips as he should have. But it was too late, he lost his Nameless Bard and now he lost you too.
The sun was setting over Monstadt when Lumine approaches the heavy-hearted bard. He was stone cold with frozen crystal tears adorning his eyelashes. She leads Venti to a fire and recounts the events of the dungeon to him. As furious as he was about your kidnapping, he felt hope. Somewhere in the world you were alive and waiting for him. Rubbing the tears and the cold off his face, he tells Lumine to have Jean gather all the citizens of Monstadt in front of the Favonius Cathedral.
He knows what he must do.
….
Doing as instructed, the Acting Grand Master had everyone from Monstadt and Springvale gathered in front of the tall Anemo statue. Once everyone is here, Dvalin takes his cue from his dramatic friend, flies over the citizens and perches himself onto the top of the cathedral. Venti then jumps off of the dragon’s back and transforms into his Archon regalia with wings spread wide, he flies into the hands of his statue. The people are chattering and praying with some even kneeling and bowing when he silences them with the sound of his lyre.
“People of Monstadt, hear me. You may have thought that I turned my back on you due to my lack of governance but I have not. I believe in freedom and have been watching the flourish of Mondstadt from the sidelines as a simple bard. I come to you now not as Venti but as Lord Barbatos of the Four Winds and I ask you to worship me as you have done thousands of years ago so that I may have the strength to save our Divine Creator from those who would do her harm. Let the wind lead.”
With that, he flies and rides the winds out into the distance toward the realm of the Adepti.
Xiao
Meanwhile at an undisclosed location, you are going fucking insane. With no way to tell time, you have no idea how long you’ve been imprisoned in this pocket dimension that looks exactly like your old home from before you got isekai’ed. Everything was here; your clothes, your food and even your computer that ironically has the Genshin Impact title screen playing that you can’t even exit out of. Caught in the full swing of cabin fever, you start destroying the drywall and floors in hopes of making your escape but it was no use, the second you turned your back, the damage was repaired as if you never wrecked it in the first place. Fuck, you hate magic. Sinking onto the floor, you cry and sob in frustration until you are emotionally drained of all feelings. Wiping the tears and the snot from your nose with the sleeve of your sweatshirt, you remembered something: a quote from one of your favorite characters.
“Call out my name. Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call.”
Knowing it was a longshot, you got onto your knees with hands pressed together in the form of prayer.
“Adeptus Xiao, I need you.” You whisper, fighting another sob from escaping your lips.
Meanwhile at the meeting of the Adepti, Morax was developing a plan to locate you when Xiao stands from the table and looks off into the mountain range with an alarmed look on his face.
“(Y/N)! Where are you?! Are you hurt?” The members of the meeting looked at the yaksha stunned and waited with bated breath to see how this scene unfolded.
You let out a cry of relief at the sound of his voice echoing in your room, “I’m fine. I don’t know where I am. They’ve locked me up in some sort of pocket dimension and there’s a bunch of sigils written on doors and windows. Can you come get me?” You say with a shaky voice.
This must be a loophole in the seal, Xiao thinks to himself. “I can hear you but I can’t sense your location. I’m sorry.” Voice low and gruff.
You sigh and pick yourself off the floor, “It’s ok. I’m just happy I can hear your voice. Listen, I don’t know how long it’ll take before they figure out that you can talk to me but you need to know that they want the Eye of the First Field Tiller. They know Dainsleif has it and want to use it to restore Khaenri'ah. That’s all I know.”
Xiao frowned, “I see. As for us, my Adeptal Arts should be strong enough to keep our line of communication undetected. I must go and report this news to Rex Lapis. In the meantime, be safe (Y/N) and call out my name at a later time and we’ll talk more.”
“Sounds good.”
Laying your head down on your bed, you stared at the ceiling imagining Xiao’s famous scowl and you smiled. Perhaps there was still hope after all.
For Part 4; send in 2 characters you want to be in the finale of this miniseries. Xiao and Venti will already be featured in the next part. Send in suggestions by June 11th.
Ever since you arrived in this world life has been good, in fact, you’ve never been happier. Before you got isekai’ed into your favorite video game, Genshin Impact, you were just a lonely nobody who was just going through the motions of what life was handed to you. But here in Teyvat you mattered though as strange it may seem, the people here are convinced that you’re their God and not like an Archon but THE God of Gods, The Divine Creator, the embodiment of Celestia itself. Apparently you are the reincarnation of the late Goddess who not only looked and acted exactly like you, but was also murdered in Khaenri'ah 500 years ago. At first, you tried to deny your status as their Creator but after meeting and interacting with your favorite characters, you decided to go along with it because it made them happy. But as Murphy’s Law dictates: ‘anything that can go wrong will go wrong,’ and that’s exactly what happened.
You, Lumine and Paimon were exploring a dungeon together as a part of a commission she was hired for, venturing deep into the crust of the earth. The stone walls were narrowing in and the air was becoming more and more scarce. Paimon was growing concerned, “uhhhh this place is getting a little tight even for Paimon. We should go back.”
Lumine, your trusted guide and friend, looked to your shaking head and held up a map for her to see. “Paimon you know we’ve been through worse together and, besides, according to this we’re getting close to where the relic should be.”
You agreed with your fellow interdimensional traveler, “yeah, Lumine’s right. We’ve gone this far, we can’t turn back now.”
Truer words have never been spoken. Upon reaching the end of the path, it leads you into an enormous clearing. Lit torches lined the walls of the cave where shadows danced to the flames flicker. However despite the torches, the cave was pitch black in the areas where the light could not reach and had an eerie silence that you found unnerving.
Lumine drew her sword and you your bow. “Be on your guard,” she warned. With an arrow nocked, you were ready for whatever monsters that emerged from the shadows.
Paimon looks at you and your bow. “When did you learn how to shoot?” She asked in a hushed tone. Following the traveler’s lead, you kept your focus on your surroundings, “a while ago,” you muttered quietly, “thought it would be useful to learn self defense.”
“Yeah. This world can be a pretty dangerous place, that’s why I stick with her. Who taught you?” You gave the floating fairy a wink, “ehe, it’s a secret.” Deciding that the conversation was over, Paimon rolled her eyes at you and floated next to her companion.
Venturing deeper into the cave for what felt like hours, you finally reach your destination but staring at the scene before you made your blood turn to ice.There, several feet away from you was an altar holding a priceless relic but looming ominously behind it was an upside down Statue of the Seven, a defiled statue.
Knowing the implications of that statue, the three of you backed away slowly from the scene. “We need to leave, now.” Lumine orders. But the second you and her turn to break off into a full sprint, a blue magical barrier cuts you off.
“Leaving so soon?” A low gravelly voice cuts the tension. Emerging from a cosmic starry portal, was a massive Abyss Herald. You couldn’t see his eyes but you could feel his malicious gaze on you. “Your Grace,” he says with a half hearted bow, “we’ve been waiting for you. Why don’t you come with me, we have much to discuss.”
In response Lumine moved her sword into a defensive position while you raised your bow and drew the string back, “I have nothing to say to you.” You called out to him, doing your best to keep your voice from cracking in fear.
The Abyss Herald cackled at your attempt to be brave. “Very well, then I shall take you by force.” Summoning his long hydro daggers, he cautiously stalked toward you like the apex predator that he is.
“(Y/N),” the traveler whispers, “you need to get out of here. Teleport away while you still can.” “What?!” you whispered back, eyes locked on the approaching monster, “I’m not leaving you and Paimon.” “We’ll be fine, he and I have unfinished business. It’s you that he wants.” Stubborn as ever but you nodded your head. Imagining a waypoint in your mind, you tried to teleport but… nothing happened.
“Oh?” The herald cocked his head to the side. “Were you trying to escape, little Goddess? We’ve only just begun.” With a wave of his hand, hidden runes illuminate the walls of the cave, “you’re welcome to try again but you won’t be able to break through this spell. I made sure of it.”
You scowl at him. You’ve had enough of his crap, aiming for his head you fire five arrows in rapid succession. While he was deflecting your arrows, Lumine jumps into action and swings her sword at him to which he blocks and attempts an aqua slash at the traveler thus beginning the fight. While the two were engaged in heated battle, you stayed around the perimeter of the cave, firing arrows at the enemy whenever you had an opening. But just when you think the tide of battle is turning in your favor, an electro abyss lector hiding in the shadows shocks you. You scream out in pain and immediately fall to the ground stunned. Every muscle in your body is contracted, your nerves on fire with excruciating pain that you can feel in your bones. With how tightly your muscles have contracted, the blood circulating to your brain temporarily stops and you pass out as a result.
When Lumine hears your scream, she sees in the corner of her eye, the abyss lector picking up your limp body and throwing you over his shoulder. Panic begins to swell within her. NO! They can’t take you too! She dodges tidal slash combo from her opponent and runs to your aid but the abyss member was too fast and intercepts her before she could make contact with the lector. With an abyssal roar, the creature charges at her in a spinning attack causing a deep gash in the traveler’s leg, incapacitating her.
“Out of respect for your brother, I’ll let you live. But make no mistake; come after us and you will feel the full might of the Abyss as you die.” With that, the members of the Abyss Order open a starry portal and disappear with you along with them leaving Lumine and Paimon alone in the dark empty cave.
I’m so sorry for disappearing like that for so long - things have been tough in the mental health department - but I’m doing a lot better now, so I hope to get back into the groove of writing! This is part 9 of “Teyvat’s Wielder”!
The air stilled as crimson eyes met a singular cerulean - clashing in a momentary battle as the two towering figures came to a halt. Despite the small distance between them, the dark haired captain could feel the angry heat radiating off of the one he once called brother.
“Kaeya,” was all the man before him said, his teeth clenched and the hints of a snarl carving away at his usually stoic face.
“Diluc,” Kaeya responded in kind, his lips pulling up into a practiced smirk as he straightened his posture, flicking his cape over his shoulder. In doing so, he revealed the blade strapped to his hip, it’s hilt glinting in the sparse rays of moonlight threateningly.
“We need to talk.” Diluc’s eyes narrowed as his brows scrunched together into an unpleasant scowl. He approached slowly, brushing past Kaeya and heading towards one of the narrow alleys - not a single glint of light reaching the darkened space.
Kaeya glanced around himself for a moment before following, feeling his muscles tense in a familiar threatened manner, every one of his limbs ready to react to sudden danger.
The only light generously granted to the pair was in the form of their visions - a blazing red and a cold, bright blue casting flickers of light onto the stony walls surrounding them.
“What is it that you want with me, Diluc?” the captain asked after a moment of tense silence.
A scoff escaped his brother’s dry lips.
“You are without a doubt the most foolish, idiotic man I have had the displeasure of knowing,” Diluc spat, his typically practiced and calculated words becoming as heated as the blaze that danced across his blade in the throes of a fight.
Nowthis was surprising.
Stunned for a moment, Kaeya was quick to return to his senses.
“Is that so? Could you perhaps elaborate?” he asked, lips quirking upwards once more, but faltering just as fast when diluc’s rough hands latched onto his cloak, the burning embers in his eyes lit with an unspeakable anger.
“Don’t play fool with me, brother,” he hissed, the strands of his messy red hair falling upon his fiery gaze as he attempted to cool his temper.
Kaeya was silent, his gaze scanning tthe disheveled features of his brethren - the sight all too familiar to him as he felt the coldness of his vision searing against his thigh.
“I’m not playing anything, Diluc.”
Diluc huffed in contempt.
“I knew you were a heathen, Kaeya - but I never thought you’d go as far as to aid the knights imprison and plan to execute the Creator.”
Kaeya stared at his brother with a wide eye, seemingly frozen in place by his own powers.
“The Creator?” he whispered, his gaze darting around their surroundings frantically. Any pretense of nonchalant smugness dropped - his body tensing even further.
“Yes.The Creator,” Diluc confirmed, straightening his posture and taking a step backwards, his gaze digging into Kaeya’s form.
“The one you and your knights attempted to kill as an imposter.” His words were hissed through tight lips, dripping with venom he had long stopped spitting at Kaeya.
Kaeya was silent for a moment.
“Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Kaeya?” his word was uttered like the most vile of curses by the flame-haired broader man as he eyes his brother disdainfully.
The captain took a deep breath and faced Diluc, his gaze clashing with the other’s as he, too, straightened himself up.
“I had no intention on aiding the acting Grand Master go through with her plan.”
“Is that so?” Diluc’s voice held no hint of believing him, his piercing gaze studying every small movement in the other’s face - studying it for hints of an upcoming lie.
Kaeya huffed, fixing his clothing before focusing his gaze on Diluc once more. The air around the two was battling between searing heat and unbearable cold - creating an uncomfortable middle ground between the two.
“I don’t know if that person was an imposter or not-”
“they were not,” Diluc interjected harshly, his fists clenching by his sides.
“But the trial was everything but fair. Even I could tell as much,” Kaeya finished, ignoring the interruption momentarily. Diluc’s form tensed, bulking at the other’s confession.
“I…see.”
Kaeya huffed.
“Is that all, Diluc?”
With no response, Kaeya turned to leave - his cape swishing at the abrupt movement. Suddenly, he was stopped by a strong grip on the item of clothing.
“No. It’s not all.”
Kaeya cast a confused glance over his shoulder.
“I need to know if I can trust you with a secret.”
Kaeya’s brows raised.
“I’m all ears.”
Darkness enveloped the manor and its surrounding fields - the only light casting its pale rays onto the surroundings being the fluttery crystalflies and sparse lights pouring through the windows of the building. The dirt crunched underneath the two pairs of boots - ground into even finer dust that would doubtlessly stifle the air during hot days.
“You will not breathe a word of this. To anyone,” Diluc spoke sternly, pushing open the front door slowly before stepping inside, the thick leather soles of his boots clashing with the polished floors beneath his feet.
Kaeya nodded, following the other inside and closing the door behind him with a soft click - his gaze taking in the familiar walls of the house he once called home.
“The creator is most likely asleep at the moment. It would do you well to be quiet for once,” the redhead warned as he cast a pointed look towards the cavalry captain - before striding towards the kitchen with all the grace and poise required of a young gentleman like himself.
Not even given the option to respond to the order with a sharp quip of his own, Kaeya followed, his gaze briefly lingering on the family portrait peeking out from underneath a velvety red drape. The scorch marks stretching across what little he saw of the canvas sent a harsh sting running through his chest.
Diluc was absently setting the kettle onto the stove, his form tense and awkward as he took note of Kaeya lingering in the doorway of the room. It had been much too long since they last had spent time under the roof of the Ragnvindr manor in a civil manner.
“Sit,” he instructed, lighting a small flame underneath the oven in a practiced manner, his eyes set on the metallic kettle before him.
With a muffled squeak, a chair is pulled out from the small table - one meant for the staff’s lunch breaks, yet every bit as extravagant as the rest of the furniture in the manor.
“You really meant what you said earlier, Kaeya?” Diluc asked, finally turning around to face his brother, a firm scowl resting on his face as he studied the other. “Or was it just another attempt to save your ass?”
Kaeya bit back a bitter chuckle.
“I meant it - I assure you. After all - the Creator did not escape their fate without a little help from the shadows,” he spoke, lowering his gaze and allowing a curtain of hair to shield his visible eye.
The soft, gentle chirping from the birds outside was what woke you from your slumber - their simple melodies drifting in through the window along with stray rays of sunlight. Your heavy lids slowly freed your eyes from the stronghold sleep had on them - and you took in your new comfortable surroundings with a soft sigh.
The bed was plush beneath your frame, molding itself to your needs as you shifted on it, slowly pushing off the soft covers and allowing the cool morning air to hit your skin. A soft smile emerged on your face for a brief moment.
You were safe, here.
Sitting up slowly, your arms moved to stretch above your head as you let out a yawn, small droplets of tears welling up in your eyes at the action on instinct. You went to wipe your eyes - banishing both the salty droplets and any sand gathered in them.
Your feet shuffled quietly across the floor, slipping on the pair of slippers you’d been provided graciously by the maids and donning a light robe on top of your cotton sleepwear. With a soft click, the door of your room came undone and you stepped out quietly - your eyes flickering to observe your surroundings out of habit, trying to confirm that you were safe.
With a slight tremor in your form, you descended the stairs, taking note of how quiet everything was. You supposed it was still far too early for even the staff to be up and bustling about.
With a quiet, content sigh, you approached the kitchen area, eager to ease the dryness itching at your throat with some cool water.
