The Final Chapter

The Tsaritsa

Chapter 19

A strange feeling began to creep into Lumine. It was like a silent whisper in her mind. Something tried to break into it, but she couldn't figure out what. Her sense of balance left her for a second and she stumbled forward. She fell into Childe's arms, who rushed towards her, catched her and helped her back up. "Are you okay?" , he asked. She nodded quickly.
"Don't let her get to you...", he said looking into her eyes. He was worried. She felt so bad. The whole time, he has had her back and supported her, but Lumine completly forgot about him in her sense of rage. Yet, here he was, at her side with his goddess as potential opponent. She nodded again, being able to stand by herself again. She felt the look of her brother from the side but the gaze from up that throne weighed way more. "Childe! What a pleasant surprise to see you...", the voice said again, almost singing her words. He turned back around to the throne. The voice that was once so wonderful and soothing, was so menacing and threatening to him now. The silhouette up the staircase moved into the light, revealing the figure to be a tall slim woman with long blong hair. She wore nothing more than a long blue gown which seemed to fade into the ice around her throne. The henchmen at the throne readied themselves for battle. "Your Highness...", he answered somewhat held back. His loyalty to the Harbingers was freshly broken and he still asked himself about the Tsaritsa's reasoning. But still the sight of the Tsaritsa was quite intimidating to him. Behind the soft voice and the grace, the Cryo archon was still terrifyingly powerful.
Lumine placed a hand on his shoulder. The sound of Childe's voice and the aura of the Tsaritsa gave her chills and an imagination of what it had be like to practically betray her... She didn't even dare to think her thoughts through. In the corner of her eye she saw Aether drawing his sword. She barely forgot about his reason to be here. He wanted to kill her. And even though she didn't approve of his plan, she would help him. This woman had caused her friend harm and caused far too much harm with the Fatui. The blue eyes of the archon wandered to Aether and she began to smile. "So... what is your request, Abyssal Prince, Avenger of Khaenri'ah and threat to the Heavenly Principles...", she asked. Aether scoffed at these made up titles. Allthough they described what he set out to do perfectly. "Or do you prefer something else?", she added tilting her head and grinning sinister. She played her games with him, he knew that. But it worked. He began to get angry at her games and how non chalant she was in front of his sister. She aimed her words at Lumine, playing on the fact that if she reveals the truth now, his sister would be out of the picture for a little while. No he couldn't let that happen. He had to protect Lumine from this woman and get her attention all for himself. So that she wouldn't be cought up in the Tsaritsa's games. "You know why I am here", he answered blunty. He had no intentions of playing a game with her. "Oh, you're ruining the fun...", she said frowning but soon enough she smiled again, as she took two of the gnoses she had from her throne, "but of course I know what you're here for..."
Lumine's heart sank as she saw the archon holding Venti's gnosis between her fingers. She barely noticed the henchmen beginning to move. The only thing that pulled her back to reality was Childe rushing forward to them, getting in a fight with the guards: "I'll take them, you two do your thing!" Determined she raised her sword and looked to Aether. "Just in this, I support you..." He looked back at her and then nodded. On his back wings appeared and he took off towards the Tsaritsa.
Lumine followed him, sprinting past Childe and the henchmen up the stairs. She stopped and stomped on the ground letting spikes errupt from the ground attacking the archon.
The Geo gnosis began to glow.
Pain rushed trough her back. It felt like her skin was ripped from her. Something that was supposed to be there was missing. It was the pain she felt when she first awoke in Teyvat. The pain that she only got over, when Amber gifted her the windglider and she was able to fly. It had been like medicine to her.
As the Tsaritsa noticed something changing in the Geo gnosis, she briefly fixated the Traveler with her eyes and smiled.
Aether charged at the archon from the sky. With his sword, he created a dark matter in the air and shot it at the Tsaritsa like a blade, which caused her to jump back. She created a slide out of ice to get to the ground. The archon put away the gnoses in her hands and shot spikes made of ice at them. Using her anemo powers Lumine created a whirlwind to draw them in and redirect them.
The Anemo gnosis began to glow.
Aether landed next to the throne and took the two remaining gnoses from the armrest. He looked at her again, almost like he did before. A long time ago. A time she could barely remember. But she felt it. The whispering came back for a brief moment. Louder. Bringing a stinging pain with it. She shook it off. He nodded towards her and took off again. With a swing of her sword she summoned lightning and directed it at her target keeping her busy to give her brother a chance to attack.
The Electro gnosis began to glow.
Aether paused for a second. He felt one of the gnoses getting warm in his pocket. Instead of getting at the Cryo archon with his sword he created six small energy balls out of his dark matter and launched them at her. Out of her pocket he could see two light glows. The gnoses she had with her. It dawned at him. Worried he looked at Lumine who held her head as if she had a headache. Oh no. He feared that. The gnoses would need both of their powers to activate. Since she was in close proximity now and using the elements, she activated them. This fight had to end quickly. Lumine couldn't regain her memories mid-fight.
She couldn't notice, how falsely her brother behaved. She still needed him!

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We finally arrived at my favorite thing about this fic! I'm sooooo exited to your reactions on future parts (and I'm seriously comsidering just posting all remaining part at once because I'm impatient ^^')