Still mine - Your little secret II

V - "Monster!"

TW

I bit my lip nervously, hoping that Kaeya didn't know anything, or at least wouldn't be taken seriously since he was a bit tipsy. "That's a sack of mora!" He laughed out loud and I looked startled at the pouch hanging from the right side of my hip where my vision usually dangled. I breathed a sigh of relief and now pointed to the vision dangling from my left hip, answering his question where I came from. "Snezhnaya."

After an hour Kaeya was drunk with his head on the counter, it was 2am and I was getting tired. The captain secretly shared half of his drink with me, I knew I shouldn't be drinking at work but it was not much, but enough to get me slightly tipsy. "The bar doesn't close until 4, but you're welcome to go." Diluc mumbled as he cleaned a jug. "Are you sure?" I asked yawning and the redhead nodded. "I'll take care of everything." I nodded and hung up my apron, said goodbye and left the tavern. I hope Diluc didn't notice.
I somehow felt like someone has been watching me the whole time...

I walked through the gorge towards Dawn Winery, my eyes almost closing and I staggered. "Hey hey hey, what's a young girl like you doing at a late hour in a place like this?" A blond man walked up to me and smiled. "Who are you?" I asked skeptically as he held out his hand to me. "Greg, very pleased. I work at Dawn Winery."

"I've never seen you there before." I looked at him with a raised brow and he smiled kindly. "Most of the time I collect grapes or deliver goods, so you don't see me that often." Well, maybe he's telling the truth, but I still couldn't trust him. "I assume you are on your way to the winery? I will accompany you." I sighed and wanted to walk past him. "No thanks, I'll find the way myself."

"It's dangerous in that gorge and you are clearly not sober." I was getting a little annoyed but what could happen? If he tried anything stupid I could easily teach him a lesson and defend myself. Greg walked close beside me, a smile on his face, somehow he seemed familiar. Wait a moment...

"You're a treasure hoarder." Whistling, he wrapped his arm around my waist and laughed but I pushed him away. "Hey what are you doing, sweetie?" He ran towards me but I immediately backed away. "Don't you dare come near me!"

"What do you wanna do? You're alone." I've heard of treasure hoarders taking advantage of young girls who wander around all alone and end up stealing all their valuables. In the worst case scenario, these girls have disappeared without a trace.

When he took another step towards me, I formed a pointed ice crystal that flew close to his head. "Woah, steady sweetie. I get it." He held his hands in the air and stopped. I sighed in relief and was inattentive for a moment, then Greg immediately grabbed my wrists and pinned me against the post of a lantern. "Quiet little thing, just shut up."

Fuck, he had my wrists, so there wasn't much I could do. I squirmed and tried to free myself from his grip, to no avail. Unfortunately, I lacked muscle strength so even this skinny guy could hold my hands with just one arm. "Fuck off!" I hissed angrily in a whiny voice as he tried to tie my hands together.

Shortly I saw my chance and kicked him with full force against his shin whereupon he groaned in pain. I shoved him aside and charged, but I tripped right over his leg and fell in the dirt. "Hngh!" My knees and forearms were burning terribly, as was my jawline. I was bleeding. "How dare you!"

Greg grabbed me and forced himself between my legs after I turned. "What are you doing?! I don't want that!" Then he raised his hand and the next moment it felt like my head was about to explode. After the slap, tears immediately ran from my eyes and everything spinned. Man the guy knocked me into another dimension. "You're worth to him a lot. 10 Million if I deliver you alive, but first..." He looked at me with a sickening grin, one hand held my wrist and his other slid over my upper body, reaching for my mora and then grabbing my thigh. "Surely they won't mind." I looked at him with wide eyes, then I wanted to scream but it was followed by another blow.

"Shut up!" I was dizzy and my cheek hurt terribly. I guess I had no choice and had to accept my fate, unless someone would save me at the last second, someone like... My eyes fell on my wrist and with the last of my strength I stuttered a name.

Everything happened so fast, a turquoise glow followed by a strong gust of wind appeared directly above me and pounced on the man leaning over me. I slowly sat up and coughed, Xiao standing between me and the treasure hoarder, panting furiously.

I had to admit that Xiao looked intimidating, scary mask and that dark aura that surrounded him, the glowing jade winged spear...

The man looked at me and the yaksha with wide eyes. "M-monster!" he screamed before jumping up and running. I've never seen anyone run so fast before. Xiao wanted to follow him but he was stopped by my pathetic cry of pain. He immediately turned to me and helped me up, blood running down my shins, arms and down my neck.

"Thank you..." I murmured as I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. "I am glad that you called me." he softly admitted. I was about to answer him but suddenly there was a loud scream mixed with fear and excruciating pain, it sounded like Greg, then it was quiet. "I sense danger. Someone's been following you." said the concerned yaksha and in the next moment we were in the winery.

"Miss Y/N!" I heard a tired man's startled voice. "What happened to you?" Elzer jumped up from his desk and stormed over to me, Xiao said goodbye quickly and disappeared after a firm hug. "Treasure Hoarders..." I mumbled exhaustedly as I dropped into a chair. "These beasts!" Elzer cursed as he lit a candle and dragged a small suitcase.

I let him clean and bandage my wounds, but I was so tired that I fell asleep.