A lost friend's journey

Chapter 13

Makoto feared she knew what was the drawing about. She was almost certain she had already seen it somewhere, a few hundred years ago in a dream she could never forget.

She knew of something she should not, knew of the existence of a God that was hidden, forgotten by people. A God she knew used to rule over Mondstadt for a while.

...She didn't know anything more about that God, nothing about how that God came to be in Enkanomiya, nothing about what brought that same God from Mondstadt to the sunken nation beneath Watatsumi.

As she opened her eyes, she took a look around here, watching the remaining archons materialize besides her. They were in Watatsumi Island, in front of the Sangonomiya Shrine.

At least, she could say the portal they had admittedly really recklessly jumped in did lead them to where they wanted to go. It was a relief on its own, to know that they weren't stuck somewhere else, or in Celestia.

The relief wqs short lived as Makoto knew they didn't have much time. Celestia would surely be after them for killing a Shade.

Makoto's eyebrows furrowed. They had killed the Shade relatively easily.

Too easily, for her taste.

The Plume of Death shouldn't have died that quickly. The Shade should have known they would trap her, would try to block her.

She should have been smarter, and something just didn't sit right with Makoto.

Archons... She wasn't sure if archons had enough power to win against a Shade, much less kill one. Could it be that the Plume of Death's powers somehow started diminishing? It couldn't be...

If it was, what would have caused it, then?

Getting closer to the edge, Makoto peered down, only to be met with the still water, the closed portal to Enkanomiya.

She hoped that if someone could answer all their questions, it would be Istaroth.

She seemed to be linked to Celestia, in some strange way Makoto couldn't understand, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

If they wanted to meet Istaroth, they would have to open the portal and fast. It wouldn't take long for Celestia to notice their absence, and she feared Inazuma would be their next target.

Makoto startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning  her head to see Morax looking at her with a straight face.

"Are you alright?"

Makoto nodded. "It's this way," she said calmly while looking back down.

"What is this?" she heard Tsaritsa ask.

"I will explain everything later," was her curt answer.

Turning back around, she assessed the situation. They were seven in total, and they had to find two sigils to activate the portal. Focalors had woken up, having suffered from a small concussion, but Makoto would rather she stay here with someone, preferably Rukkhadevata so the Dendro Archon could sooth her with some herbs, if she was carrying some on her person. That leaved them to five.

"Morax, I will need you to come with me," she said, to which the Geo Archon nodded. "Murata, Tsaritsa, you will go with the stranger."

Makoto moved, walked until she faced the North side of Watatsumi Island. She pointed to the horizon. "There, besides the sea right on the shore. A sigil is hidden there. I need you to retrieve it," she paused, lowering her hand, moving a bit then pointing to a strange structure below them, a bit far but still visible, easily accessible by gliding from where they stood.