Days blurred into one another, fatigue clinging to us like a second skin. Lumine's frustration crackled in the air, a constant reminder of our lack of progress. After all, we'd entrusted Childe, with his supposed experience (unlike me, a self-proclaimed novice), to lead the way.
"Alright, Childe," Lumine stated, her voice tight with barely suppressed irritation, "we need to be somewhere productive. Wandering in circles isn't exactly getting us closer to our goal." Her words hung heavy, punctuated only by the rustle of leaves in the wind. "Honestly, I'm about to forget my manners and—"
Childe squinted at the map, brow furrowed in concentration. Before she could finish her veiled threat, Lumine snatched the map from his grasp. Surprise flickered across his face, but he offered no resistance.
Minutes ticked by, the silence amplifying the tension. My throat constricted with worry. "Uh, guys?" I ventured cautiously, "is everything alright?"
Lumine's reply was a low growl. "This moron," she spat, jabbing a finger at the map, "got us lost!"
"Hey, at least I have some sense of direction, unlike you!" Childe retorted, his voice laced with defensiveness.
"Sense of direction?" Lumine scoffed. "I at least know how to read a map, something a brain seems to be a prerequisite for!"
Just as their bickering threatened to escalate further, a sound pierced the tense silence. My head snapped towards the source – a rustling noise emanating from a nearby thicket.
"Childe? Lumine?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Did you guys hear that?"
Both Lumine and Childe turned, their eyes narrowing in unison.
"Point me towards it," Lumine ordered, snatching her sword from what seemed like thin air. She muttered something under her breath about it better not be my friends again, a sentiment that sent a shiver down my spine.
Just as Lumine prepared to charge towards the bushes, a streak of blue whizzed past her ear, embedding itself in the wood behind. We all spun around, startled. An Abyss Mage, clutching its shoulder where the arrow struck, stumbled out of the undergrowth, a look of pain contorting its face. Before I could react, Childe, a bow now clutched in his hand, unleashed a volley of arrows. The Mage crumpled to the ground, defeated.
Silence descended once more, broken only by Lumine and my stunned stares.
"What?" Childe chuckled, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Didn't know I could use a bow?"
Shaking his head, he strode towards us, the map held out in front of him.
"Look," he explained, pointing to a specific location. "If we teleport there, we can use some ice to bridge the water gap."
We both studied the map, then him, the initial shock slowly giving way to a grudging understanding. After a long pause, Lumine finally gave a curt nod.
"Fine," she conceded. "There's just one problem."
"Yeah?" Childe raised an eyebrow.
"Who's going to freeze the water?" Lumine challenged.
A sly smile spread across Childe's face. "Leave that to me," he said. "I've got just the person in mind."
YOU ARE READING
Mika and the Spiral Abyss ( Mika's Diary )
FanfictionWhere are going to die. At least I thought we were going to die. Childe said we wouldn't, but he's a harbinger, so I don't really trust him that much. We were standing by the portal to the spiral abyss. Childe and Lumine looked at each other, and th...
