Chapter 2: Downpour
Rain.
The trees sway vigorously, their branches dancing to the howling wind. Water descends from the sky hurriedly, as if the world itself were shedding tears. For many, this is a genuinely melancholic period.
In search of warmth, company, and protection, people seek shelter. After all, that is human nature, each with their reasons.
However, for one person in particular, it is a rather pleasant time. The sound of droplets touching the ground, the silence that extends throughout the road—there are various positive aspects to it, but most people fail to comprehend.
On a small dirt road, a silhouette emerges, their steps echoing through the air along with the rain. Surprisingly, the rain seems to completely ignore them, almost as if it were purposefully dodging their body.
"Ugh... it's so cold. I should buy some clothes later, even with me abusing the Infinity the wind is still too cold..."
Hugging himself to ward off the chill, Roman walks calmly towards Dawn Winery, the location of his last guild quest.
'I knew it would rain, but not this much.'
Calmly observing the sky, he opens a small smile at the view.
'Well, it's not so bad...'
His breath releases small amounts of steam, which quickly dissipate. While scanning the surroundings, he begins to plan his next steps.
'I shouldn't be too far; I passed by Springvale a few minutes ago.'
The path he treads is right in the middle between two mountains, with several cliffs. One of them stands out among the others, being sharp and extending almost to the other mountain.
As he passes beneath it, Roman notices some rocks leaning against it, some are dark and opaque, which he presumes to be iron. Others look like blue crystals, and he recognizes them immediately, having spent a good amount of his life farming them.
He stops and observes them for a moment before continuing his way.
'Crystals, huh... maybe I'll grab some when I have space. They should be worth good money in the market.'
Continuing down the road, there's not much else interesting to see, except for some lightning striking randomly. They seem relatively dangerous for people without any kind of protection.
Klang!
'Huh?'
Suddenly, metallic sounds begin to reveal themselves, someone seems to be fighting with something in the distance. Due to the storm, it's not easy to see, so Roman starts moving towards the source of these sounds.
'Someone got here before me?'
'During this rain, on top of that... definitely not a normal person.'
Soon after Roman thinks that, the rain increases considerably.
'Tch, right now?'
Roman sneaks up to a nearby bush and eventually tries to see what exactly is happening.
As he expected, the Hilichurl camp is right there, with two towers around. Silhouettes of archers can be seen on top of them, shooting arrows at something.
Shifting focus to the road, three silhouettes emerge, two large and one smaller. The smaller figure seems to be easily dodging the attacks and arrows from the Hilichurls and what Roman deduces to be Mitachurls.
'He's quite skilled.'
Amidst the barrage of attacks, the figure finds an opening and launches a slash from bottom to the top, opening a massive wound on the Mitachurl's chest. Without wasting time, he pushes the sword into it, which suddenly freezes completely.
"Haha, quite weak, huh?"
He says this as he steps back and looks at the other Mitachurl, smiling, watching his companion break into pieces and dissolve into red particles.
'Ouch, that hurt even me... He doesn't seem to need help, but I should intervene just to prove that I completed the quest. Better safe than sorry.'
'I'll get those archers without making noise. A Blue should be able to pull them down...'
Roman stealthily approaches one of the towers while the fight between the remaining Mitachurl and the figure resumes. Now that he's closer, he finally sees his face.
'An eyepatch? Ah...'
He has dark blue hair and slightly darker skin, wearing a white cape with light blue details. His uncovered eye has a star-shaped pupil, and his eyepatch is adorned with golden ornaments.
'Kaeya... damn, of all people, him?'
'Tsk…'
'I'll deal with him later, focus on the Hilichurls first.'
Looking at the base of the tower, Roman spots a sword leaning against it. It doesn't seem to be of good quality, but it will do. He picks it up and points his finger at the top of the tower.
He whispers, "Here we go."
Creating a small Blue near the ladder, he quickly pulls the Hilichurl backward, making it lose balance and fall. Without wasting time, Roman thrusts the sword into the Hilichurl on the ground, ending its life in seconds.
The Hilichurl dissipates into red particles as Roman turns to the remaining tower, where the last one is.
'I think I should reveal myself to avoid problems.'
He quickly steps out from behind the tower and takes a quick look at Kaeya's battle, which already seems to be ending.
'Alright, let's finish this one too.'
Kaeya, noticing Roman's presence, raises an eyebrow with curiosity. He opens a small smile just before returning to the fight.
Meanwhile, Roman doesn't seem to have noticed, as he is focused on the other tower. He wields the sword and aims at the Hilichurl before throwing it with precision.
After throwing it, he uses Blue again to increase the impact speed of the Hilichurl with the sword just before the collision. The result is a clean cut, making its head fall before it even realizes.
'Blue is quite convenient, huh?'
'Now... how do I deal with him?'
Turning to Kaeya, he sees him finishing the last Mitachurl with a clean cut to the head. The rest of his body seems completely frozen.
"..."
Their gazes finally meet, and Kaeya opens a smile that gives Roman a few chills.
"So, dear friend, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"
Kaeya speaks while sheathing his sword.
'Tsk... this guy was one of the last people I wanted to meet now.'
"Mhm, hello. I'm Roman, an 'almost' adventurer, I guess."
Kaeya looks him up and down, raising an eyebrow, noticing something a bit strange. But he ignores it for now.
"Well, nice to meet you, Roman. Can you tell me what exactly you're doing here? Oh, I almost forgot, haha. Where is my manners… I'm Kaeya."
Roman nods and opens a smile.
'Uhuh…'
"I'm just completing some commissions... It's my test to enter the guild. Actually, this was my last one, haha."
Kaeya puts his hand on his face thoughtfully while scanning the rest of the camp.
"I see... looks like we're done here, then. If you don't mind, we can head back together. I was on my way to Mondstadt before I stumbled upon this camp."
Roman looks at the sky and thinks for a few seconds.
'He definitely finds me suspicious, right?'
'Sigh...'
"Well, company in this rain wouldn't be so bad."
Kaeya seems a bit surprised and smiles as he looks at the raindrops that seem to involuntarily dodge Roman's body.
'Rain, huh...'
"Let's go then. I suppose you have a time limit to complete the quests, right?"
Roman smiles and says, "Oh yeah, I do. We should hurry."
They start walking slowly towards Mondstadt, chatting along the way. The intensity of the rain seems to decrease a bit, a sign that it won't last much longer.
'I feel like I'm forgetting something... Well, it must be nothing.'
Roman shrugs, not noticing that Kaeya is watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"..."
After some time walking, they both reach a cobblestone bridge that connects Mondstadt's gates to the outside world, crossing the water surrounding the city. Only a few drops of what was once a storm are visible now.
Unlike a few hours ago, except for the guards, the bridge is completely deserted. They can feel the wind hitting their faces as they approach it.
As they walk towards the gates, Kaeya stops in front of them and turns to Roman with a smile. The guards salute him, bowing slightly in respect.
"Welcome, Captain."
Kaeya nods to them.
"So, as I was saying, I am the captain of the cavalry of the Knights of Favonius. If you ever need anything, you can count on me."
"Judging by your clothes, you seem to be new in town. So let me formally say –- Welcome to Mondstadt."
Roman smiles slightly.
"Thanks… If you need help with anything, you can count on me too."
"I should probably go now, I have some things to do before it gets too dark."
Roman waves to Swan, who is guarding the gate, and turns back to Kaeya.
"See you lat-"
GRRROOOAAARRR!
A deafening roar echoes almost throughout Mondstadt. Strong gusts of wind start to emerge in the air. Roman reacts almost instantly, looking up at the sky.
A massive winged figure is seen flying towards the city, part of its body covered in blue feathers, with four wings of a darker blue color. In Roman's sight, a massive amount of Anemo elemental energy surrounds the creature.
'Dvalin?!'
The Dragon of the East, one of the four winds of Mondstadt. It was once considered one of the protectors of the city, but that title has long been forgotten by most people. Only the most knowledgeable would recognize him now.
Kaeya immediately reacts, with a stern expression, he turns to Roman and says:
"Roman, it seems we have company. Get into the city quickly, I'll see what we can do."
"Seek shelter in the headquarters, and try to inform the rest of the knights, please."
Roman looks at Kaeya with a calm expression and nods.
"Alright, leave it to me. Take care of the people here."
'In theory, Dvalin shouldn't attack the city directly in the first few days, only when the Traveler makes their first appearance.'
Strengthening his legs with cursed energy, Roman shoots like a bullet towards the highest part of Mondstadt. He feels the wind hitting his face as the dragon circles Mondstadt.
Leaving the gate's field of view, he uses Blue to climb onto the roofs and increase his speed even more. Thanks to the earlier storm, the streets are completely deserted, so he doesn't have to worry about civilians inside the city seeing him.
'It should be right there, just before the statue of Venti.'
Crossing the air, Roman lands in front of the buildings that make up the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius. They give off an imposing air when viewed from the outside.
Upon landing, Roman observes two guards on alert at the door, who notice his presence instantly.
"Stop! What are you doing here?!"
One of them points a spear at Roman, which strangely causes a small feeling of anger in him.
Roman raises his arms with a slight discomfort.
"Calm down. I came at Kaeya's request, he's at the city gates and asked me to report the situation to the knights and take shelter here."
The guards look at each other, somewhat suspicious.
"And what proof do you have?"
A vein appears on Roman's forehead.
'Shit.'
He thinks for a few moments, searching his memory for something that can help him in this situation.
'Ah!'
"Confirm it with the Acting Grand Master. He was at Dawn Winery visiting his brother, and we came back together."
'It's a gamble, but there's no other reason for him to be there.'
One of the guards nods and proceeds to enter the building. The gusts of wind seem to decrease a bit, and the dragon's roars become less noticeable.
"So, who exactly are you?"
The remaining guard says with a calmer voice after Roman's explanation. He sighs before answering.
"Sigh... I'm Roman, nice to meet you."
They shake hands when the door opens, revealing the guard who went to confirm the information.
"You can enter, sorry for the inconvenience."
Roman nods.
"Thanks."
Entering the building, he is greeted by white walls with shield symbols carved into them, and a checkered pattern on the floor. Four doors can be seen, two on each side of the hall, and a larger staircase in the center leading to the upper floors.
Several guards are seen going up and down the stairs in a hurry, it seems that the dragon's appearance is already taking effect inside. Roman hurries to the first door on the left, the office of the Acting Grand Master, Jean. She is replacing Varka, the true Grand Master, who left on a mission not too long ago.
Knock Knock...
"Come in..."
He hears a soft voice coming from inside the room, making him put his hand on the doorknob and turn it slightly. Opening the door, Roman is faced with a large red carpet with a golden shield symbol embroidered on it.
Around the room are several shelves with various books scattered on them, most of them seem to be documents, but you can still see some textbooks and narrative books here and there.
Returning his gaze to the center of the room, he sees a medium-sized desk with various documents scattered on it. A figure catches his eye, she seems to have a tired look.
She has light blond hair tied in a ponytail, pale skin, and light blue eyes. In her ears are a pair of gold earrings, in the shape of a cross. Her clothes are white with gold details, and she wears a dark blue cape with the symbol of the Knights of Favonius.
"Welcome."
She says with a half-tired smile.
"I presume you are the person sent by Kaeya, correct?"
'Jean, huh... she's quite beautiful.'
"Uh, yes. He asked me to report what we saw at the gates. My name is Roman, nice to meet you."
He looks at Jean with a slight smile, which she returns.
"I see... we were preparing to go investigate. Can you tell me what you saw?"
She says while resting her arms on the desk.
Roman puts his hand on his face thoughtfully.
'Now, what information should I reveal?...'
'I should keep Dvalin's real identity a secret for now. Eventually, Lisa will find out anyway, it's better to not mess up the storyline for now.'
"When we were on the bridge, we heard a massive roar from the sky. I managed to observe its origin, it was a dragon. It seemed to have immense control over Anemo, but it didn't try to attack the city directly."
Jean puts her hand on her face, massaging her eyebrows.
"Sigh... Anemo, you say?"
"Some people also reported to the city guards about the dragon, but nothing about its element..."
Roman sighs and says:
"Yeah, but it seems it's gone for now. On my way here, its roars became more distant, and the wind also subsided."
"Maybe someone with an Elemental Vision can see some trace if they are quick."
Jean nods and opens a slight smile.
"I appreciate the information. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"
Roman makes a hand gesture and answers instantly.
"Mora."
He speaks with utmost sincerity and no shame, with a poker-face.
"Pftt..."
"Ahahah, okay, okay."
Composing herself, she takes something from one of the drawers of her desk and throws it to Roman, who catches it agilely in the air.
"There's 6,000 Mora in there, enjoy."
Roman opens a smile and winks at Jean.
"I should go now; I have to stop by the Guild. If you need anything, you can count on me."
Jean smiles.
"Take care."
'What an exotic person...' Jean thinks.
After bidding farewell to Jean, Roman makes his way out of the headquarters. Outside, he looks at the sky, which is now with an orange hue. The rain clouds are starting to disperse, allowing him to have a view of the sun piercing through them.
He feels a light breeze hitting his face, probably a remnant of the wind currents generated by the dragon. He sighs lightly and looks down at the lower part of the city.
The city now seems a bit more lively since the storm and the dragon disappeared. Focusing his vision on the guild building, Roman can see Katheryne standing there.
'She hasn't left there the whole time?...'
'Mhm, good for me then. Let's go.'
Roman starts walking slowly towards the lower part of the city, near its gates. He descends a few sets of stairs and, after a few minutes, arrives in front of the guild.
Katheryne notices him immediately, opening a small smile.
"Ad astra abyssosque, adventurer. I suppose you've completed the commissions?"
Roman sighs, taking the grass lamps from his pocket and placing them on the table.
"Yes... here you go. And I also dealt with the hilichurl camps."
Katheryne collects the quest papers again along with the grass lamps and puts them in a cabinet under the counter. She also pulls some things from there and places them on the table: a guild badge, used to recognize adventurers, and a bag full of mora.
"Very well, we have completed your registration. Again, welcome to the Guild, Adventurer."
"Here's your badge and your reward. It's 9,000 mora in total, if you want to double-check it."
She slightly bows to Roman, with a smile on her face.
"Thanks, tomorrow I'll come by to pick up a few more."
Katheryne nods slightly.
"Then, see you later."
Roman turns and starts walking towards the city's fountain, which is in the central part of it. At this point, the darkness of the night is already starting to take over the environment, making it a bit more challenging for normal people to see.
'I'm tired...'
Roman says, stretching.
'At least now I have money, heh.'
'I should get something to eat before going to rent a room at the hotel.'
He decides to stop at the Good Hunter, which fortunately is still open, and buys some chicken-mushroom skewers before heading to Mondstadt's hotel, which theoretically shouldn't be occupied yet.
'In theory, the Fatui haven't gotten involved yet, since Dvalin just showed up.'
'Ugh, how should I deal with them later?'
'Should I prevent them from stealing the Gnosis?'
"Sigh..."
'I should rest first, I have many things to sort out later. Thinking about useless stuff right now won't get me anywhere.'
Lost in his thoughts, Roman hadn't noticed that he had reached the hotel door and had been standing there for some time.
"Ah... I spaced out again."
"Why am I this tired?"
"Well, whatever."
Entering the hotel, he sees a reasonably large lobby with various paintings hanging on the walls, looking like a high-quality place. Roman approaches the counter and rings a small bell on it.
After a short wait, an older gentleman emerges from a door behind the counter. He wears a monocle and has graying hair.
"How can I help you, young man?"
Roman observes the gentleman before responding, he exudes a disciplined and calm aura.
"I would like a room, please."
The gentleman nods and takes a key hanging under the counter.
"Room 23, second floor."
"The daily rate is 1,500 mora."
'Expensive...'
Roman takes the mora bag that Jean gave him and pulls out the exact amount.
"I'll pay for three nights upfront, here."
The gentleman collects the coins and says, "Have a good rest."
Roman sighs before heading towards the stairs, to the second floor. After spending some time searching for the room, he finally finds it.
It's a simple but comfortable room. It has a double bed, a wardrobe, and a desk on the side. Upon entering the room, fatigue weighs even more on his mind, almost as if forcing him to close his eyes.
'I think I've never done so much work in one day in my life...'
Stretching, Roman puts his badge and money bags in a desk drawer before approaching the bed. His heavy body is craving rest after so much work.
However, as he throws himself onto the bed, something strange happens. His body begins to float in the air, never touching the bed below.
"What the hell? Ah..."
"I forgot to deactivate it?"
Remembering Kaeya's strange expression, combined with his own tiredness he finally understands.
"Shit."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
umbrunoai
umbrunoai Heya guys, i'm back with one more chapter. I was busy sorting some things about my college, that's why i didn't update it for a while. The next chapter should be out as soon as possible.
Thanks for the support once again, I'll be answering almost everyone here, I really like to see your opinions haha.
If you really liked the chapter, i suggest you to add it to your library for future updates. See ya!
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