[A/N: Time to go hunt down some wild glaze lillies~! Lumine gets hurt. Lumine's singing the Genshin Impact's opening theme song by the way. X3]
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The sun shined high in the sky on that midspring afternoon over the lush wetland of Dihua Marsh. So much had changed over the centuries but also many things did not in the eldest of the seven's amber eyes. The song of marshland wildlife rang in chorus in the air all around as in the deeper water ducks with tiny fuzzy duckling lazily swam and dived about. While in the shallows the elegance of Liyue's cranes wading for fish could be seen along with the odd cryo or hydro slimes just hopping about. While sleeking through the brush if one was lucky they could spot the majesty of black striped Liyue tiger just going off to look for prey and patrol her boarders. In the rustle of the tall grass laced with dew lizards scurried away in a rushed fright.
Zhongli had only just arrived at the destination he had agreed upon to meet Lumine. His deep amber eyes scanning out to the marsh solemnly. This marsh had been once a beautiful meadow just full of glaze lilies as far as the eye could see. Oh how Guizhong had adored these lilies and he had adored them for whom they reminded him of. But this marsh, once a field full of the now endangered flowered...i-it still hurt being here....even after all this time. "Damn him..."he thought with a hiss. It was due to their battle things took a turn and Guizhong's favorite flower...no he needed to get his head out of the mist of his past. His mind instead wandered back to Lumine, wondering how her visit with the Qixing was going at the Jade Chamber. But he was also slightly amused at little Gangyu and a bit relieved the half adeptus girl hadn't noticed who he was. "It's better it stays that way."he thought firmly. Still it was pleasing to see Gangyu was still in good health.
"Mr.Zhongli!" Zhongli looked over at hearing his name and unaware found himself smiling at the sight of Lumine racing over to him with Paimon.
"Ah, right on time ladies. I myself only just arrived here moments ago."he greeted. "Did you enjoy your visit to the Jade Chamber to see Miss Ningguang?"
"It was actually pretty impressive. I can't even imagine the amount of time and effort that went to make it."Lumine said in delight.
"Indeed, in Liyue the Jade Chamber is second to none. How did you your talk with Ningguang go?"he asked.
"It went smoothly, shockingly enough. Actually she was helpful but somebody had to go get a lil' greedy."Lumine instantly glared at her floating companion.
"Hey!"Paimon pouted.
"Really Paimon, you had to go off and ask for a reward after giving a gift? That was so rude!"huffed Lumine in frustration. The damn fairy could be such a headache some times to the poor blonde.
Zhongli raised his brow at this as he looked at Lumine as she had a clear "don't ask" expression on her face. The girls went on to mention that they had run into Keqing too at the ballista. Zhongli remembered that skeptical girl well that had a habit of coming off as, hm...arrogant at first. But there had been a reason he had agreed to Ningguang's request to let the young woman join the Qixing despite her no respect for the divine. And it was the very words Keqing had about the era of the adepti was long past. For that mortal was very much correct in her words that this was now the humans' era. Once their talk about Ningguang had finished they went on their way.
"I thought glaze lilies were endangered, won't they be hard to find?"Lumine asked as she ran up to walk beside Zhongli.
"They are. But remember what I said about them before hand?"Zhongli reminded as Lumine nodded. He wouldn't lie he was...concerned that Childe was making sigil of permission. If he had to guess this was probably Miss Signora's hand at play in manipulating the poor boy. "No matter I'll adjust the test for Liyue accordingly."he thought firmly. He still had his gnosis so he could interfere if there was no choice. "We'll find some wild glaze lilies here deeper into the marsh."
"Really? I saw a lot of them back at the terrace. Couldn't we have picked some from there?"Lumine asked in confusion.
"No, those were all tended by human hands. What we require are wild glaze lilies, which have a much more stronger scent. They are joyful flower that likes to listen to human song."Zhongli informed with a fond smile as a fond memory surfaced....
...Guizhong couldn't help but laugh at the sight as not far away tiny Gangyu way playing with her human mother and adpetus father. Meanwhile the source of her amusement was the ombre burnette man crouched beside her pouting like some kind of frustrated dragon puppy. "Morax you aren't going to get them to bloom that way."she quipped.
"Ugh, I can't understand these infernal flowers."grumbled Morax as he glared at the poor flowers.
"You need to be more gentle, they are very sensitive to your emotions. If somebody is sad they get sad and wilt but if you're happy and sincere they grow strong and bloom."Guizhong informed with a hum. To prove her point the goddess of dust hummed a simple tune and before their eyes all around them the shy glaze lilies opened up into full, brilliant blooms....
...It had taken a bit but Lumine's excited call snapped him out of his trip down memory lane. Right near the shoreline were three glaze lilies. "Zhongli we found some!"
"So I see."
"So what now?"Paimon wondered.
"Simple, Mr.Zhongli already told us what to do. We sing to it."giggled Lumine. Eagerly she crouched down to the flowers and began to sing an old tune she and her brother would always sing. Zhongli was instantly transfixed for Lumine's voice was like breezy wind chimes in the wind. Such a beautiful and elegant voice, it was like the sweetest of fine wines to his ears.
Lumine though was cut short when the ground around the flowers suddenly moved forcing her to leap away. As not one but three cryo whopperflowers appeared. Zhongli's eyes grew wide before he swiftly brought out his polearm and leaped in to aid Lumine. The flower monsters though proved rather slippery even as they managed to dispatch one and dodge blasts of ice and frozen spikes from the other two. Lumine was distracted dealing with one of them as she slashed down one with a blast of her rockblade.
"Lumine, behind you!"Lumine instantly turned at Zhongli's warning. However it came too late as a blast of icicles crashed into her causing her to be sent flying as crimson filled his line of sight. Violent memories took hold as before his eyes he was seeing Guizhong and Lumine overlap in a moments haze as Lumine's cry of agony echoed around him the world drowning out to white.
"LUMINE!!"he heard Paimon scream as she crashed into the shallows with a resounding splash. The attack must have left her in some state of shock as she lay there hurt bleeding from a wound to the side of her head and a gash to her arm. A burning fury blazed in a quiet rage as it took the place of his horrified dismay. And for the first time in a long time he used his powers as he got in between the foolish monsters and the injured traveler behind him.
To Be Continued...
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