"Shh—looks like that dragon is talking to that green guy."
Paimon put a finger to her lips, peeking over Lumine's head.
Lumine peeked from the middle, and Farmas of course peeked from the bottom—the three of them stacked up like silly spies, watching from behind the bushes.
"Who is that guy? He's not afraid of the dragon at all. Could it be… he's the one controlling the dragon to attack people?" Paimon speculated.
"We don't know the circumstances yet. Don't jump to conclusions."
Lumine stayed neutral as always—besides, that boy looked gentle, nothing like a villain.
"Is… is that a girl?" Lumine asked curiously.
"He should be a boy?" Paimon guessed.
"He is a boy," Farmas declared decisively.
"A boy that cute? Farmas, don't lie to Paimon!"
"Shh."
Farmas mouthed the word silently, telling her to stop talking, then turned his gaze toward Dvalin and Venti.
"Dvalin, I know it's my fault. Please don't be angry."
Venti's expression dimmed, his emerald eyes full of guilt.
"You humans always think you know everything."
Dvalin bared rows of razor-sharp teeth, his agitation clear. All three pairs of wings unfurled at once, whipping up a violent gale that blasted outward in all directions.
"You must be mistaken. Everyone loves peace, and you've always been a friend of Mondstadt, so—"
Venti raised his hand to shield himself from the head-on gust, hoping Dvalin would calm down enough to listen.
Paimon clung to the hem of Lumine's skirt, her tiny body nearly blown away by the force.
Suddenly Lumine's body glowed teal, a sting spreading across her arms—except for the part wrapped by Farmas, which remained warm and soft.
"Who's there?"
Dvalin snapped his gaze toward their hiding place, then looked back at Venti.
"So this is why you came today? You brought others to hunt me?"
His anger only rose. With a beat of his wings, Dvalin shot into the sky, unleashing another violent storm.
"No, Dvalin—listen to me!"
Venti's eyes sharpened. He clearly knew someone was behind the tree, but his brows slowly relaxed. Then, his form dissolved into a swirl of Anemo and disappeared.
"What… was that just now?" Lumine stared at the fading teal glow on her hands. It slowly vanished as Dvalin flew farther away.
"I was scared to death! I thought we were gonna get eaten!"
Paimon patted her flat chest and finally let out a breath.
"What's the boy's relationship with the dragon anyway?"
The conversation had been too short for Lumine or Paimon to understand anything—and Farmas, who did know, couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Hey, look! There's a little piece of red crystal here."
Once they confirmed both Venti and the dragon were gone, Lumine and Paimon approached the spot where Dvalin had lain. A shard of red crystal lay on the ground.
"What's this?"
What they saw was Dvalin's crystallized tears—the residue of the wound left by the poisonous dragon Durin. After a fruitless discussion, Lumine took the red crystal with her, and the three continued toward Mondstadt. But the closer they got, the more turbulent the weather became, as if a storm covered the entire city.
Farmas knew why. The corrupted Dvalin was already affecting Mondstadt—the once-beautiful sky now hidden behind restless winds.
Before long, they could already see Mondstadt's buildings. Just then, a voice called out:
"Hey—you there! Wait!"
"Huh?"
Lumine looked around. No one.
"I'm up here!"
A girl leapt down from a five-meter ledge, stabilizing herself with a pair of grey-blue wings behind her.
She wore a neat red outfit, brown gloves, and white thigh-high socks trimmed with red. A fine longbow hung behind her, and on her waist was a Vision shaped like a deep crimson ear of grain—a Pyro Vision.
Her brown hair flowed freely, and the most eye-catching thing was the bright red ribbon tied atop her head, giving her an energetic, adorable look.
The girl approached quickly, placed her right hand over her chest, swung it downward, and bowed slightly.
"May the Anemo Archon protect you, travelers. I'm Amber, an Outrider of the Knights of Favonius."
She smiled brightly, her eyes squinting into cheerful crescents as she showed a row of perfect white teeth.
"So? What do you want with us?"
Paimon floated up before Lumine, hands on her hips, interrogating her before Lumine could speak.
"You're not citizens of Mondstadt, right? Then please state your identities!"
Amber wasn't backing down—she raised her bow slightly, looking ready to unleash a painful double shot if needed.
While the three talked noisily, Farmas stared at Amber's Pyro Vision. He'd seen Diluc's Pyro Vision days earlier—now Amber's. But all he could do was look. Borrowing a Vision for "research" was almost impossible, even if he wouldn't damage it.
If I just ask Venti to borrow a few Visions, things would be so much easier…
Barbatos was infamous for laissez-faire governance, but surely he had the authority to borrow a few Visions, right?
What should I even say when I meet him? "Hey, Wind God Who Never Works"? "Hello, Weakest of the Seven"?
Wait, no… right now, I'm probably the weakest of the Seven.
Damn you, Morax.
Farmas cursed the conniving Geo Archon again before looking back at Lumine—because he'd just heard her introducing him.
"This is Farmas, a Pyro Slime I met on the road."
Lumine lifted her right arm, and Farmas tried his best to smile at Amber.
"Hm. He's a Pyro Slime, but he doesn't feel like a monster at all. A pretty strange slime."
Amber poked Farmas' cheek curiously.
"Don't touch other people's bodies so casually, Miss Outrider."
Right before her finger poked him, Farmas couldn't help speaking up.
"AHH!! The slime TALKED?!"
Amber jerked her hand back instantly.
"Huh? Is it weird for a slime to talk?"
Lumine tilted her head. Amber's reaction was almost identical to Paimon's the first time.
"W-well, it's definitely rare. I've never seen one… Anyway, you're travelers, right?"
"Recently a dragon has been appearing around Mondstadt. You should head into the city as soon as possible. It's not far from here—I'll escort you the rest of the way as a Knight."
After a few more words, Amber returned to her cheerful self. Seeing the three posed no threat, she decided to guide them safely into Mondstadt.