The Truth of the Lochfolk (Genshin Fanfic)

Chapter 9 - A New Friend?

As I first stepped foot on the wood planks of Liyue Harbor, I felt a sense of various feelings tingling in my body. The smell of burning chill flakes in restaurants, the saltiness of the ocean and the warm relationships everyone had with each other. It felt... Good. As I was walking by the citizens, I knew I was certainly the center of attention. I tried to ignore the feeling; I didn't like the feeling of everyone's eyes being turned on me. As a coping mechanism, I turned to the nearest restaurant near me; It read 'Wamnin Restaurant'.

"Welcome to Wanmin Restaurant! I'm Chef Mao, what would you like today?"

"Oh hi! I actually new here in Liyue; could you suggest me some recommended dishes?"

He then laughed a good hearty laugh.

"Haha! I like you. I can tell you're the reclusive, introverted type. I'll whip up a dish that I think you'd like!"

He then turned away and started chopping some vegetables. I haven't even told him what I wanted, and he had a 'sense' of what I liked? Is this what the people of Liyue were like?

A few tables from me, a saw a lone lady. She had a long braid with beautiful silvery hair. She wore a black bodysuit and possessed some bird-like attributes within her outfit. The most noticeable thing in her outfit, however, were the mysterious red ropes tied around her. As I peered closer, I could see she also possessed a vision, a Cryo one at that. Same as me. Other than that, her outfit looked equally impractical as mine. Strongly, she also seemed to have the same emotionless expression as me.

As my food arrived, I could already smell the strong spices that were imbued in the dish. The chicken was steaming, a fine layer of spices and oil coated around it. Next to it was good hearty side to go with the chicken. It consisted of onions, carrots, mushrooms and what seemed to be some sort of chili. Finally, a big spoonful of rice was placed in the middle, with 2 leaves of lettuce placed on top. Lettuce? He really did know what I liked...

I was excited to indulge in this dish, smelling it was enough for me to salivate. As I looked back at the lady from before, she now had an enormous amount of food on top of her table. I was shocked. Was she really going to eat all that? As the last dish was placed down, on top of it was what seemed to be some sort of garnish. It was foreign to me, so it must've originated from Liyue. The garnish had 4 white petals on each flower, as they were bundled together. The lady then picked up the garnish and started eating it bit by bit until it was gone. Despite that, she only took one bite of the other dishes and headed off. Who would spend all this Mora on so much food and just take one bite? Was she rich on Mora? Considering Morax – The Geo Archon – Was the one that brought Mora into this world, I wouldn't be surprised if the people of Liyue were the richest among everyone in Teyvat. Still, I grew curious towards her strange behavior. After I finished my dish, I intended on following her. My curiosity grew by the second.

She was a rather fast walker; it was difficult to keep up with her while remaining hidden. She then stopped walking. We were now in a rather tranquil place, I felt at peace just being here. I was shook however, the aura of that strange woman was intense and dangerous.

"You there."

She then pointed towards my general direction

"Come out. I know you've been following me the entire time. Whether you're a thug or some weirdo, I suggest revealing yourself now."

Reluctantly I stepped out from my hiding place. I didn't know what would happen to me if I didn't listen to her, nor did I want to find out. All I knew was that she was much more skilled in combat than I was, could easily kill me if she wanted to.

"So, you're the one who's been following me. Are you a thug or have you been sent here from another nation to assassinate me?"

Assassinate her? Judging by this claim, it seems like this has happened to her before. She was certainly on guard, however.

I shook my head

"I'm just an adventurer from another nation. Fontaine, which I'm sure you know already."

I gave her a reassuring smile; however, she didn't seem to buy it.

"So, traveler from Fontaine. What gave you the intention to follow me?"

I made up a lie on the spot

"I could sense you were a powerful person, even obtaining a vision. I need help finding the truth to something I've been yearning since I was a child."

She raised her eyebrow, curious.

"You see, centuries ago the Lochfolk of Fontaine served the Hydro Archon and the nation. One day, they disappeared. I know it has something to do with their cold relationship with the current Hydro Archon, but I need to know more. "

She then spoke up

"And what do I have to with it?"

I hesitated

"Well, you see... The Lochfolk are currently known as the Oceanid in other nations. I've heard tales of them being mighty foes, you'd have to be a fool to challenge them. The reason you come into this, is because I can sense you're very skilled in combat."

I then pointed at her vision

"And I can tell the God's thought so as well"

She then pointed at mine

"Are you forgetting you also possess a vision? As long as you wield one, even defeating an Oceanid wouldn't be much trouble. Bringing me in to fight something like an Oceanid while you also possess a vision not only wastes my time, but it also feels like you're underestimating my power."

I sighed. She's got a point.

"B-but I've only received this vision recently! I'm only a newbie at controlling my newfound power... If I stepped foot in that arena, I'd certainly perish."

The lady then closed her eyes. I could tell she was considering helping me. I didn't have high hopes of her accepting.

"Alright I have made my decision. I've decided not to help you, perhaps fighting that Oceanid will help you improve. My name's Shenhe if you're curious."

She turned around shiftly and disappeared before my eyes.

Shenhe huh... She was one cold lady, but strangely I felt an attraction towards her. We were... Quite similar, weren't we?

Wasting no time, I gazed up towards the mountains.

Lochfolk... I will get answers from you, even if it means defeating you. 

This is the end for now. I posted 3 chapters at once so the next one will be in a few days. Stay tuned!