The Final Chapter

A New Formation

Chapter 16

The thunderstorm had not calmed down yet, it too was grieving. Ayaka looked over the tents then in the sky. The Jade Chamber left hours ago and was nowhere to be seen. "Did we get everyone off the island?", she asked. Her subordinate nodded. She looked over to Narukami island. Smoke emerged from it, rain falling down on it. They lost. Narukami fell with the Shougun. As her eyes wandered over her home, she spotted movement on the coast line. "Movement on the island!", a soldier yelled. Ayaka grabbed her sword: "Prepare the boats! We're checking this" Her and her small group got on two seperate boats and traveled back towards Narukami. As they came up closer whoever was on the island noticed them and stopped to wait for them. It was a small troup of soldiers lead by a tall man who had red hair. As they arrived this man came close to their boat. "Mondstadt's troups?", Ayaka asked carefully not leaving the boat. The leader of the troup nodded: "Yes. I'm Diluc. We came here to check on the situation. You are the first people we meet..." "Yes. We evacuated the island and moved over" She gestured back Kannazuka. "Allright", he turned around to his troup, "We retreat. Inform the troups of the Cavalry Captain and the Acting Grandmaster. We're heading towards Kannazuka."

Ayaka stood over the map, where they had crossed out Narukami island. "The Shougun fell at dawn, the city an hour later. A traitor had been feeding the enemy information. We gathered all information we could from him. It seems the Fatui are cooperating with the Abyss Order", she explained to their reinforcements. The word traitor rolled strangely of her tongue. Referring to Thoma as a traitor was still hurtful. Ayato's last breath gave her the hint she needed. She remembered that it was Thoma, who was in charge of leading those troups who fell victim to the first breakthrough. Right when she had come back, she had confronted him and now he was arrested. He had already confessed to cooperating with the Fatui. Lady Kamisato looked back at her guests.
The Acting Grandmaster of Mondstadt looked concerned. The redhead looked at her and said: "Jean, I know you are worried but Lisa can handle Fatui. She will take notice in strange activities from those snezhnayan diplomats" She looked at him then smiled: "You're right... I'm just overly worried" She looked back at Ayaka. "Where is the Liyue fleet?"
"As we fell the new enemy waves ignored Narukami after the Shougun fell they followed them in worry of Liyue or Sumeru. It seems to be the enemy's intention to kill the archons but Liyue already lost theirs. But to get to Sumeru, Natlan or Fontaine, they would have to pass through the nation..." Jean nodded. The new head of the Kamisato clan looked at the two behind them and noticed they all shared the same expression. "Does your nation have defences?" The Acting Grandmaster nodded: "Yes, but they wont need them. If it is truly about the archons, there is no more reason to raid Mondstadt..." Her voice was still sad, so their loss was as fresh as her own. She decided not to ask anything beyond that and marked the Anemo archon off of the map. "So what's the plan now?", the guy with the red hair asked. He looked at Ayaka who shook her head: "Here is nothing left to save. Most of our men are fataly wounded, the rest are needed to protect and treat the wounded..."
All eyes lay on the Acting Grandmaster of Mondstadt. She looked at the map. Studying the borders to Liyue. They would need to divide their men. They were able to take all soldiers with them, no fleet was needed, Liyue could defend their harbour without them. She cleared her throat: "We're sailing to Liyue. We split the troup down the middle. One half come with me to Fontaine in the north, the other half will follow Diluc to Sumeru more to the south..." She pointed first to the nothern boarder from Liyue and Fontaine then down to the boarder between Sumeru and Liyue. Her troup nodded. Jean looked back at the head of the Kamisato clan who also agreed. "Sounds reasonable. Go save the archons of the other nations, for ours it's too late..."

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Also no 1000 words, so you'll get this one today too, as a treat ^-^