Eyes Of The Void /// A genshin fanfiction

Chapter 1: It's not about ham, Paimon!

"What do you think, Paimon, would our troubles be over?" Aether asked his little companion, that floated alongside him. "Maybe, I'll finally return to my sister. That is, if we had it with the seven cities. Are we even on seven yet? I didn't really count. To busy cleaning up someone else's mess." "Paimon thinks our biggest trouble is over!" the little white-haired creature chirped.
They were strolling through Mondstadt. It was true, it had been rather peaceful lately. Not that they were looking for an adventure, Aether was just... Disappointed. He missed Lumine. He had somewhat hoped she would pop up again, that they would travel the worlds again like they had once done.
Suddenly, he heard a voice call out behind him. "Aether! Paimon!" They turned around to see a girl in red with brown hair come running towards them "Amber!" Paimon happily chirped. "You are truly unfindable, I must admit. I have searched all of Mondstadt for you as soon as I heard you were back!" The outrider smiled while huffing out with her hands on her knees. "We weren't going so fast! Paimon is way slower than Aether!" Paimon protested. "But really, what have you been up to?" Amber asked, now upright again. "I keep hearing these heroic stories from visitors..." Aether smiled slightly. "Ah, you know, the usual. Trying to find my sister and solve the mystery, and then getting caught in the trouble of other cities. Having to save those cities, because I ofcourse can't let all those innocent people get hurt. And I want to make it out alive myself too."
"You are a true Honorary Knight!" Amber laughed. "I guess so..." The blonde male mumbled in response. "Hey, Paimon also helped!" the little white-haired exclaimed, hands on her hips and her expression offended. "Yeah, Paimon is great emergency food, isn't she, Paimon?" Aether chuckled. "Hmpf! Paimon is not emergency food!"
"So, back in Mondstadt for now?" Amber cut through, knowing the argument would escalate if she didn't change the topic. Her eyes zoned out to something behind the dup before returning her attention to them. Aether snickered. "Yeah. We, uhm... Kind of ran out of adventures. No bards or Fatui trying to steal holy items and destroying cities." Amber lifted a finger to her lips, a sign she was thinking about something. "Now you mention bards... Venti told me he wanted to talk to you the other day. Something about ham."
"Food!!!" Paimon exclaimed. Aether sighed, then laughed a bit. "Come on, Paimon, it isn't all about food. It's probably something serious.
"Oh, but ham is really serious business. It has to be perfectly prepared and then cooked at the right temperature to be delicious. Crispy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside, hmmm..." Aether's little companion was drooling at the thought of it.
"Alright. Do you know where I can find Venti?" Aether asked. He could already make a few guesses but asking probably wouldn't be a bother.
"He's... Somewhere in the Whispering Woods. You know, the usual." Amber told them. Aether sighed and looked up at the blue sky.
This would be an amazing chance to help me, Celestia.
"Alright. We'll see you later then!"
He waved at Amber, and off they were.

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"Maybe he just wants us to taste his new ham recipe!" Paimon tried to cheer up her traveling companion. His expression had changed as soon as Venti was mentioned. Sure, they were good friends, but they also had a history of Venti needing stuff from them. Paimon hated it to see him like that. It hadn't happened many times and she was grateful for that. "It's NOT about ham, Paimon. Not everything is about food." the blonde grumbled. "Cheer up a little, will ya?" they heard a voice coming from above. Looking up, they saw there was a boy in green holding a lyre, sitting in a huge tree. "I'm not saying you're wrong, but it sounds like you just buried a friend. What's up?" Aether sighed. "I swear, if you are going to ask me to steal another holy object..." "What? No, duh!" Venti chuckled. He jumped down from the branch he was sitting on, swiftly landing on his feet and brushing off some invisble dirt. 
"You see, dearest Traveler, I have a different type of mission. I need your help getting somewhere. Across the sea, in a cold, wet place called Gotham-"
"Told you it wasn't about food!" Aether yelled triumphantly, causing Paimon to pout. Venti cleared his throat, offended that his story was broken off while it had not even yet started. "Across the sea, in a cold, wet place called Gotham, resides a person I need to talk to. I feel like the balance is... off. And they might be able to help."
"Why don't you just go by yourself then? Seems nothing different from what you usually do." Aether asked. He looked over at Paimon, who shrugged her little shoulders. She couldn't understand Venti too, and they both did not know if this was Venti or Barbatos talking.
"Ehe... I might have some trouble with the city's... Archon-not-really-Archon. If they knew it were me, they'd throw me into jail straight away. Come on Traveler, is it that much of a bother to join me on my travel?" Could an Archon be jailed? That was something Aether didn't know. Maybe one Archon could chain another.
The problem wasn't coming along with Venti; Aether was scared that this mysterious person Venti wanted to talk to was the city Archon.
"Alright, before I make my decision, be honest with me. On a scale of zero to ten, how big is the chance the person you need to talk to is the city Archon?" "Ehe..." Venti chuckled, his eyes nervously glancing from Aether to Paimon and back. "A solid 10. And she's not really an Archon." "If it isn't the Tone-Deaf Bard that needs something!" Paimon exclaimed with her arms folded. "He just seems to attract trouble! Paimon still thinks he's annoying." Aether snickered, silently agreeing with his companion.
"But, but, but... This is important! If you don't help me all worlds might just fall apart! It's weird to explain, but... Things are double yet different. It's not like it should be. This person I need to talk to-"
"That Archon." Aether interrupted him. "Fine. That Archon knows this way better than I do. Matter of a fact, they are the Archon of it; the relationship between different worlds." Aether sighed, doubting for a moment. "Alright then. It seems interesting. And this is world is worth saving, if it really is as bad as you say..." Aether told the bard.
"Ah! I almost forgot! The most important thing, and I have not yet mentioned it!" Venti hit his forehead. "The sincerest apologies of a bard!" "Come on, Tone-Deaf Bard, just spill it already! Paimon wants to know!" Paimon pouted. She trampled with her feet in the air, clearly annoyed with the bard. " Important for the traveler. For you, little friend, it'd be that there are lots of new snacks to try in Gotham. As for the Traveler..."
Venti dropped a dramatic silence, a smug look on his face. "They will have a really big chance to help you arrange a meeting with your sister."
A spark of hope climbed up his chest, something that had been a long time since he felt that. His sister. He would be able to see his sister again.
Lumine.
"When are we leaving?"

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Hello! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please comment and leave me some feedback  :)
Word count: 1263

Thought I'd share: Khoi Dao covered Let it Go. And post it on his own YouTube.