Accidental Arriviste || Genshin Impact

XVI: The Aftermath

Your trio scurries out to follow the bard, ignoring the stares of the churchgoers. As Venti dashes to the right, two Fatui agents grab hold of the bard. You and Aether rush to his aid, kicking out the agents. Then suddenly, an ice storm pushes you back, forcing you all to be split from each other. You are held down by a Fatui agent, letting out a sharp gasp of pain as you hit the ground. They swiftly grab your arms and lock them behind you, preventing you from escaping.

A malefic voice averts your focus from your pain to its source, "At last, Mondstadt's rodent ruler in the flesh."

Your vision is a bit hazy, but you are still able to make out the figure. The voice belongs to the female with an icy glare, her eyes piercing an apprehended Venti. Her ivory white dress flows down her chassis smoothly, some black highlights to accentuate her figure. You suspect she's the head of the Fatui, with her authoritative aura over the agents and the elegance she upholds when strolls towards the archon.

She grabs Venti's face and inspects it, her tone so venomous that it could compare to a snake's, "Scurrying through the streets, looking for leftovers. Mondstadt calls this a god?"

Venti sneers, "Resident rodent beats invasive vermin—"

A loud slap thunders the Cathedral. Your eyes widen, and you and Aether scream out for Venti. Unfortunately for you, you're held captive as well.

The woman's gaze flickers behind Venti, and your eyes meet. A look of surprise washes over her, only to return to its earlier state. "Don't you dare speak back to me, insolent bard."

Suddenly, a violent tempest builds up around the archon's legs to remove the ice that rooted him, attempting to free himself. The woman only smirks at his attempt, "Absentee archon of Mondstadt, how impotent you have become."

"That smirk you wear looks out of place, Did you steal it from your master's face?"

This enrages the woman and lunges towards Venti, stabbing her hand in the latter's chest. A look of shock encompasses the bard as he coughs, and kneels down when the woman retreats her limb.

You cry for Venti, and the Fatui agent pinning you down strikes you head again, finally knocking you out of consciousness. Aether looks beside him worriedly, not only is Paimon knocked out, but you are, too. This only skyrockets his concern for the both of you.

She upholds a glowing item with her index and her thumb, observing it, "So. This is a Gnosis? Wouldn't be caught dead wearing this ugly thing in public."

The archon weakly mutters as he cradles his chest, "Beauty is a waste when the beholder has no taste—"

The lady kicks Venti's injured chest, successfully knocking him out. The blond boy starts thrashing beside you as the woman walks over to your cataleptic body, attempting to free himself from the Fatui's grasp. She kneels down and her eyes gloss over you, careful not to touch you, "Hm, so they really are here. I'll make sure to tell Her Highness."

Aether struggles under the Fatui agent's grasp, but instead receives a blow on the head, knocking him out.

The woman turns around and walks off, "Well, we have what we came here for. Come, before our dear Favonian friends arrive. Leave nothing for them to find."

-

"Y/N! Venti!"

Aether jolts awake, a sharp pain hitting his head. Barbara attends to the Outlander carefully, "Ah, Honorary Knight, you're awake!"

He looks around the room to see Paimon floating beside him worriedly. Barbara hands the golden boy a glass of water, to which he graciously accepts, "Venti... Y/N... are they alright?"