The traveler and the yaksha | Xiao x Aether

Chapter 1 Is this fate?

Two months have passed since Aether landed in the world known as Teyvat. Along his travels he arrived at the city of Mondstadt with Paimon by his side. He met a girl named Amber who helped him register with the adventurer's guild. Aether needed a way to make mora to help pay for food and other expenses along the way. After a couple weeks of helping the people of Mondstadt with jobs around the city, Aether knew he needed to press on and search for more clues about his missing relative. So Aether decided to set off to the city called Liyue Harbor to pick up some commissions from the guild there. He also wanted to talk to a man named Zhongli who could possibly help him with the answers he seeks.

Before Aether set off on his journey, Amber and the others mentioned that there was an Inn that Aether could spend the night at and rest without the fear of being ambushed by monsters or treasure hoarders in the area. Traveling from Mondstadt to Liyue Harbor was about a days journey and traveling at night was very dangerous and he was going alone with no back up. After a bit of arguing back and forth, Aether reassured the others that he would be careful along the way and do his best to stay out of trouble, he wanted to make the trip to Liyue on his own and didn't want to bother the others seeing as they were very busy with other tasks. Amber wrote down the name of the inn and marked it on the map, the Inn's name was Wangshu Inn and that he couldn't miss it seeing as the inn was very unique to the area.

Aether soon set off down the dirt path. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder at the city of freedom. Aether smiled, promising himself that he would return. He turned on his heels and continued down the path. Several hours passed, and Mondstadt was no longer visible. Aether had covered quite the distance in a short amount of time. Aether came across couple villages along the way. He even stopped to eat at one and rest before he set out again. After talking with some the villagers, they reassured him that he was still on the right path and that the inn he mentioned to them wasn't very far.

"Hmm...if I'm reading this map right...and from what those villagers told me. The inn should be just over that hill." Aether spoke to himself. He stood up from the rock where he was sitting, folded the map up and resumed walking.

Aether reached the hill and made it over the top. There he could see the huge tree in the distance. The sight before him was amazing. He could see buildings built right into the trunk of the tree as it loomed overhead. The leaves were not colored green but instead colored in reds and oranges throughout the branches. As Aether got closer he could see that night was approaching fast, the sun was starting to disappear behind the mountains, so he picked up speed and made his way to the inn.

Aether finally reached the tree and made his way up the stairs to the elevator, as he entered the platform a bell rang signaling that the elevator was ascending. As the platform was lifting him into the air, Aether was lost in his thoughts. His mind was on Paimon, he wondered if she would be ok without him. He left her with Amber and the others while he traveled to Liyue. But he was also relieved with the fact he could spend time alone without her getting onto him all the time.

'I hope Paimon will be alright without me... though I'm sure she's enjoying herself at Good Hunter.. probably eating all their food.' He chuckled at the thought.

A bell brought Aether out of his thoughts as the elevator stopped on the top floor. He got off and made his way to the front desk to check-in and rent a room for the night. The clerk gave him the keys and told him where his room was. He thanked the clerk and took the keys. On his way to his room, he saw the huge balcony and wandered towards it. He made his way out to the deck that overlooked the area, by this time the bright sky was covered in a dark blue color as nightfall had arrived and the sun completely disappeared beyond the horizon. As he made his way to the railing he suddenly sensed that someone was watching him. In a panic, he started to look around.