Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Night Kingdom was starting to remind Aether of The Chasm a bit.  Violent, vengeful spirits, odd architecture, even weirder environments, and a perpetual feeling of dread and danger.  Still, if bringing back a friend from the dead lay in it, then it would be worth it once they came out.

“Kachina!  Kachina, where are youuuu!?  Yell out if you hear us so we can all go home!” Paimon yelled out for the umpteenth time.

“I don’t think she’ll hear you, Paimon.  The Night Kingdom and the Abyss tend to mess with the senses, after all.” Chasca explained as she scanned the warped landscape around them.  “For now, focus your strength on using your eyes.  Try to confirm if what you see is really there.”

Mualani paused in her roving to focus on something in the distance.  “...Then, are those flames over there real?”

“Flames?” Iansan popped over next to Mualani.  “Did the Archon do something?”

“Didn’t she say she’d stay back and watch stuff from her office?” Paimon piped up.  Aether, meanwhile, squinted his eyes a bit more.  The pattern of those flames...they looked familiar...

The group found themselves pausing to watch the pattern of pyro energy as it flared up again and again.  Was someone fighting down here?  Aether craned his neck, focusing on the sight.  It looked like...someone with a sword.  The figure stepped back from an Abyssal mitachurl’s downward axe swing, before stepping onto the axe itself as a springboard, leaping into the air and bringing their fist down, crumbling the mitachurl and creating a glowing circle of Pyro on the ground that pushed back the monsters surrounding them.

“Hey is that-!?  Aether, where are you-” Paimon blurted out as Aether suddenly rushed forward, sword in hand, crackling with Electro.  Vaguely aware of the others following, Aether channeled Electro into his legs, leaping high into the air and bringing it down on the Pyro afflicted monsters in a wide swing, causing a chain reaction of explosions.  Aether took a moment to glance down at the Pyro circle under his feet; in the center was a large thumbs up.

“Aether!?” Aether then found himself getting bear hugged by a familiar adventurer.  “Thank Celestia you’re here,” Bennett bawled.  “What the hell is going on!?”

Aether gently pushed Bennett off of him.  “Hey, it’s alright, we’re here.  How did you end up here?”

The white haired adventurer wiped his nose, which lightly trickled with blood.  At least the extremely over tuned healing from his burst seemed to be still working.  “I dunno.  I was doing some commissions back home when I slipped down a hole.  It wasn’t there before!  It was just like it appeared out of nowhere to swallow me.  Suddenly everything went dark, and it felt like I was getting thrown everywhere all at once, and then when I saw some light again, I was here, in...wherever we are.”

Aether internally braced himself; Bennett definitely wouldn’t like the news.  “Well, uh...we’re in a place called the Night Kingdom...which is in Natlan.”

Bennett went silent.  Then screamed, “What the hell!?”

---

After a harrowing escape from the Night Kingdom, Aether’s new friends insisted that Bennett go with them to report that they had been successful in rescuing Kachina.  Now that he thought about it, he felt like he might’ve seen her out of the corner of his eye at one point while he was down there.  Despite his obvious nerves, Aether and the other Natlan vision holders were adamant.  At the very least, they had to be checked for Abyssal contamination.

That led to the current scenario: Kachina at the center of a group of powerful Natlanese vision holders, all protective of their rescued junior, with Aether seemingly as the vanguard.  Bennett himself, meanwhile, hung back.  He was happy for them, but the thought of his bad luck souring their good mood hung in his mind like a fog.  At least the landscape of Natlan was a beautiful distraction.  He could probably spend a whole lifetime exploring the place!

“Hey, um...are you okay?” A small voice suddenly asked.

Bennett jumped out of his thoughts to look down at the speaker.  “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m great!  Just a bit worried is all, er...Kachina, right?” Kachina nodded with a small smile.  The group seemed to be taking a break from all the walking.  “Yeah, yeah, I’m alright.”

“Really?  You seem like you’re looking for something, though?” Kachina mused with a tilt of her head.

Bennett felt his ears heat up.  Was I that obvious?   “Oh, uh, it’s complicated, is all.” Bennett glanced over at Aether for a saving grace, but instead, Aether seemed to have a look of reassurance.  But not necessarily that he was going to save him from Kachina’s questioning.  I’m gonna have to save myself from this, aren’t I?   “Uh, well, y’see, I have really bad luck.  So whenever I’m around, things just go really badly...”

“Oh...well, it can’t be that bad, right?”

Bennett practically wailed, “No, it is!  Like, one time when I was hanging out with Aether, I said the weather was nice for gliding, then suddenly it started pouring as soon as I said it!  Ugh, and don’t get me started on the dish I tried to make...” Aether grimaced at the memory.  It was supposed to be his specialty, a slightly burnt fried egg, but somehow it turned into a pot of abyssal glop that gave poor Royce food poisoning.  Then Bennett tried it and it gave him actual poisoning.  Needless to say, Barbara was beside herself when they finally turned up at the cathedral near midnight.  “A-Anyways, what I’m saying is, maybe you guys should be careful...or maybe I should just hang back so you don’t get hit in the crossfire...”

“Hey it’s okay!” Mualani piped up as she clapped a hand on his shoulder.  “We’ve all made it out of the Night Kingdom in one piece, and so far nothing’s happened!”

“I-I guess, but-”

“And we can always just deal with whatever comes our way.  We’re capable.” Chasca added, a confident hand on her hip.

Bennett flushed under the attention.  Ahh...these people are so nice.

“Anyway” Chasca continued, “we should probably focus on getting back to the Speaker’s Chamber to meet with the Pyro Archon.  Chuychu will be there to examine us for Abyssal contamination.”

“Ah, that’s right!  C’mon, let’s go bring back the good news!” Mualani cheered.  If she was hoping to lift the mood from Bennett’s confession, then it certainly helped, because they were all soon underway again.  As they passed through the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, they got more than a few stares from the people hanging around; most were concentrated on Kachina, who had quite literally just come back from Natlan’s equivalent of the afterlife.  A few also stared at the new foreigner that seemed to have joined their ranks.

As they neared the Speaker’s Chamber, Mualani leaned over and began asking Bennett something.  “Hey, so you’re from Mondstadt, right?”

“Uh, yeah, why?”

“You’re not secretly from Natlan or something, are you?” When Bennett looked bewildered, she added, “because you really look like Iansan.”

“I do?” Then, he turned to look at Iansan, who, overhearing, did the same.  Green eyes met one another as they took in the details: white hair, green eyes, and a patch across the nose.  The two paused and stared.

“I...don’t know.”

Chapter Text

The overall mood of the party was jubilant as warriors of Natlan, some of Kachina’s closer friends included, cheered at her safe return from the Night Kingdom.  The Weary Inn was packed with members of Kachina’s tribe, and with her being the center of attention, Bennett found a moment to step back and sit down.  Now that they were finally all cleared of the dangers of diving into the Night Kingdom, the realization of everything that had happened was beginning to settle over him.

I fell into a crack in the ground in Mondstadt...fell through The Abyss , and now I’m here, in Natlan, on the other side of Teyvat... Bennett groaned and rubbed his head; he could definitely feel a headache coming on soon.  Thankfully, someone pushed a cool cup into his head, which he quickly downed.  Bennett quickly did a small recoil at the taste; expecting cool water or sweet juice, he instead drank down what seemed to be some sort of spinach juice.  Thankfully, Bennett’s rather unfortunate cooking skills meant he was used to ill tasting foods, so he managed to stomach the sudden taste of veggie juice.

Turning to see who handed him the green juice, he saw it was...”Oh, you’re...” Bennett paused for a moment, then remembering the name Mualani brought up earlier that day.  “Iansan, right?”

The small woman (girl?) replied with a confident nod.  “That’s me.  Iansan of the Collective of Plenty.”  She offered her hand, which Bennett shook.  He hadn’t realized he sat down at her table; now that he was closer to her, they really did look alike...except in skin tone and the pointy ears.  “Bennett, right?  We didn’t really get to talk back when we first found you in the Night Kingdom.”

“Ah, no, it’s okay!  Yeah, I’m Bennett, leader of Benny’s Adventure Team!”

Iansan nodded in reply.  “So, Bennett, how are you holding up right now?”

Bennett blanked for a moment.  “How am I holding up?”

“Yeah, like, how are you doing?  I’ll bet you’re kinda freaked out inside right now; it really hasn’t been that long since we got back from the Night Kingdom.”

Bennett leaned back as the memories surfaced.  It had all started with a commission, a fairly simple one: clear out a small camp of hilichurls.  But as he walked near the place, he noticed an Abyss Mage, and he stood back to reconsider his approach, rather than just going in and blowing them all up.  It was then that he fell; he stepped backwards onto nothing, and he fell into a crack that he swore wasn’t there before.  There was only darkness and swirling purple as he felt weightless, before he was thrown harshly down into what he now knew was the Night Kingdom of Natlan.  “Uh, worried, I guess...” Bennett mumbled.  “It’s all a little crazy, that I’m so far from Mondstadt now...gosh, and I promised the others I’d join up with them when I was done...”

Wait.  The others?  Oh, shit.

Like an alarmed Whopperflower, Bennett shot out of his seat, to Iansan’s surprise, and bolted across the room to where Aether was talking to the Pyro Archon.  Conveniently, it seemed like they were just about finished with their conversation when Bennett nearly crashed into the Traveler.  “Bennett?  Something wrong?” asked Aether, while Mavuika cocked her head.

“Mondstadt!  I-” Bennett paused to suck in a breath.  “I was gonna hang out with Amy-I mean!  Fischl!  Fischl and Razor after I completed a commission, but I fell into the Abyss before that happened.  Aw crap, they must be so worried right now-!”

Aether placed a placating hand on the adventurer’s shoulders.  “Hey, hey, it’s okay.  If you want, I can teleport back to Mondstadt and let them know you’re okay.  How’s that?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s perfect!  Although...” Bennett glanced around at the party that was still ongoing.  “I don’t want to be a bother if you’re busy...”

“It’s fine, I can be quick about it.  Besides, I know Fischl and Razor; they’re probably doing alright for themselves.”

Meanwhile, in a room filled with men who a certain youth all called “dad”, a young woman, around his age, sneezed.  Gods, she better not be getting sick in the middle of the guild’s search efforts for a certain someone.

After a few more reassurances and lines of dialogue on when Aether would go back to inform Mondstadt of the status of their unlucky, white haired youth, the conversation naturally came to an end, and the Traveler decided to do a lap around the room to catch up with everyone.  That left Bennett alone with...oh Celestia, he was alone with the Pyro Archon .

“So, you’re Bennett!  We really didn’t have a chance for introductions earlier, didn’t we?”

Bennett practically jumped a meter high.  “Y-Y-Yes, that’s me, Miss Pyro Archon!”

Mavuika laughed warmly.  “No need for the formality right now.  You’re a friend of Aether’s, right?” Bennett nodded shyly.  Her eyes felt like twin blazing suns on him.  “He’s been filling me in about you.  How have you been holding up?  I know Chuychu already looked over all of you, but I just want to make sure.”

“Oh, well...”

When the rescue group entered the Speaker’s Chamber, it was to being quickly fussed over by Chuychu.  Justified, considering they just all took a deep dive into the Abyss tainted Night Kingdom to save their youngest.  “Good to see you’ve all returned relatively unharmed.  I’m glad you’re back with us, Kachina.” Kachina had squeezed and thanked Mavuika.  Then, naturally, her eyes went over to the extra person in the room, the one nobody quite expected.  “And who’s this?”

At that point, Aether spoke up: “That’s Bennett.  He’s an adventurer friend of mine from Mondstadt.”

“Mondstadt?  What’s he doing here, then?”

Paimon scratched her head.  “It’s a bit of a story...”

Paimon and Aether filled her in on what Bennett had already told them, and Mavuika nodded, seeming to accept the answer.  She then asked Chuychu to take Bennett outside of her office for a check-up while she debriefed with Kachina and her rescuers.  Chuychu did so, and Bennett ended up having to regale the story again for good measure.  “So, wait...you fell into a hole, into the Abyss , and you ended up in the Night Kingdom?”

Bennett picked at his nose bandage.  “Yeah, I guess that’s what happened.  I’m just as confused, honestly...”

Chuychu shook her head.  “Well, that’s okay.  Let’s just make sure the Abyss hasn’t left any lingering effects on you.” In the end, there was a considerable amount of Abyssal contamination on Bennett, which made sense considering he had been fighting for who knows how long against those monsters.  “Honestly, I’m surprised your injuries aren’t worse.  Even Ancient Name holders suffer effects from fighting the Abyss.”

“Ancient Name holder?” Bennett murmured as Chuychu administered another round of treatment.  “I think Aether might’ve mentioned that on the way here.”

“Oh, Ancient Names.  They’re special names granted by the Wayob to people who embody certain traits.  My sister Chasca, for example, holds the name ‘Vuka’ which means transcension.  Bearing an Ancient Name means inheriting our land’s past, so it's a big responsibility.”

“Oh...sounds kinda rough.”

Chuychu cracked a small smile.  “Well, I’m not an Ancient Name holder, but I can definitely see it in a lot of people, how it's an honor and a big weight.  Take my sister for example...”

“I think I’m holding up alright.  I’m just still a bit...argh, what’s the phrase?”

“Out of it?” Mavuika suggested.

“Yeah, that’s it!  Everything just feels kinda fast and long at the same time.  One moment, I was at home in Mondstadt, then the next, I’m here.” Bennett groaned.  “And now I’m not sure what to do...”

Mavuika gave him a warm smile.  “Well, that’s alright.  You’re tired, far from home, and probably wondering how things got like this.  You can’t always know what to do, and that’s okay.” Mavuika put a strong hand on his shoulder.  Bennett found himself smiling a little, encouraged by her words.  “How about this?  I’ll arrange for a room here at the Weary Inn for you; just enjoy the party, rest up, then think about what to do in the morning.  How’s that?”

“That sounds...good, yeah.  Thank you, Miss Pyro Archon!”

Mavuika laughed again.  “Just ‘Pyro Archon’ or even Mavuika is fine!” With the hand still on his shoulder, Mavuika spun Bennett around and pushed him back toward the party.  “Go and relax, the party’s still going strong!”

Bennett replied with a smile and a nod, and he found himself returning naturally, feeling a bit better, the weight of the prior events lessening.  Things would work out.  They always did for him.

Chapter Text

A few hours after the party had concluded and everything was cleaned up, Aether and Paimon teleported together back to Mondstadt.  Aether considered trying to bring Bennett along, but through some past experimentation, he found a few things early into his journey:

1. Only he could activate and use Teleport Waypoints; Vision holders could only piggyback at best.
2. Only Vision holders (and Paimon) could piggyback.
   
3. Sometimes, things could go wrong, possibly because the waypoints weren’t meant to transport groups of people at once.  The last time he tried that, Amber suddenly appeared several meters up in the air and broke her leg.  Needless to say, Eula almost killed him for that.

It was nighttime when the Traveler arrived.  Even though Mondstadt was far more modest than the other nations, there was a cozy, homey feeling to Mondstadt City and Springvale.  It was a nice place to return to when things were finally wrapping up in whatever new national crisis Aether and Paimon found themselves wrapped up in.  But right now, they were on business, and that was to tell the people of Mondstadt that their wayward adventurer was okay.

Passing a few people who spoke out their greetings, Aether and Paimon eventually made their way to the Mondstadt Adventurer’s Guild headquarters.  When he first arrived in Teyvat, he assumed it was operated by the Knights of Favonius, given it looked like a whole second Knights HQ; nope, it was just owned by the Guild.  Now that he thought about it, it was a bit weird that he had only been inside...once?  None?  Whatever.  Aether pushed open the doors, saying hi to a startled adventurer who seemed half asleep near the doorway.

Navigating the hallways, the two eventually found what they were looking for: the mess hall, where most of Bennett’s dads hung out.  “Hey, Aether?”

“Yeah, Paimon?”

“How do you think they’ll take the news?  That Bennett is all the way across Teyvat now?”

Aether shrugged.  “Well, I hope.  With how big Cyrus is, I don’t want to imagine what he could do to my face if he got upset.” Calmly, Aether pushed open the doors, revealing a large room filled with wooden tables and chairs.  Tankards and plates of food and their consumers were strewn about, but most of them were concentrated in the center of the room, where Cyrus stood with a large pin board filled with maps of Mondstadt.  “He was last seen around here!  So Bennett must be somewhere at least close by!” Cyrus said in a strained voice, circling a spot on the map for the nth time.  If Aether’s memory served, it was that one spot where an Abyss Mage and a group of Hilichurls would keep reappearing, not too far from the ruins of old Mondstadt.

“Cyrus, we’ve combed the area several times!” One of the older adventurers groaned.  “If we couldn’t find him in a 1 km area, then he must be somewhere else entirely at this point!”

“What if he was kidnapped!?” Someone put up.  “Treasure Hoarders would do anything for a bit of money, maybe they’re holding him ransom!”

“Wouldn’t have a letter come by now?”

“Well, it’s only been two days, maybe they’re delayed!”

“Why are we talking about whether Treasure Hoarders can get basic mail to us...”

Aether slowly pushed his way forward through the group, being careful to avoid chairs and arms holding food and drink.  “Aether!” A voice cried, and Aether found himself being glomped by yet another adventurer from Mondstadt.  In this case, it was Mondstadt’s resident chuunibyou.  “Aether, B-Benny’s gone missing!  We’ve been looking all over but-!” Amy wailed.

Oz, perched on a table and picking at some food, turned up.  “Greetings, sir Aether.  As you can see, mein Fräulein is rather besides herself at Bennett’s disappearance.”

“Yeah I can tell, uh, Fischl, could you maybe get off me, please?” Aether squeaked as he guided her back into a chair.  Fischl sniffed loudly.  The other guild members, meanwhile, seemed to look to him with a sense of hope.

“Ah, Traveler!” Cyrus greeted loudly.  “Glad you’re here, Bennett’s gone missing, and we haven’t found a trace of him!  But with you here, it’ll be alright!”

Aether smiled awkwardly.  “That’s why I’m here.  I know where he is.”

There was a beat of silence.  Then, Aether found himself being squeezed tightly by Cyrus and his massive arms.  “You do!?  Where is he?  Is he safe!?” he shouted in Aether’s face, which was echoed by Bennett’s other dads and Fischl.

“Awawawawa - hold on a sec, let’s calm down first!” Paimon babbled.  “Please stop grabbing Aether, he kinda needs to breathe.”

Now not being grabbed to death, Aether was able to wait until everyone was sat down and calm before he began to explain the situation.  “Right now...Bennett’s in Natlan.”

“What!?”

“Just let me explain for a second.”

“Yeah, let him speak!” Paimon squeaked.

“To keep things short, me and some other Natlanese Vision wielders found him in a place in Natlan called the Night Kingdom; we were there to rescue a friend, and we happened to find him in there too.  He’s back in Natlan right now.”

“Is he safe?” One of Bennett’s dads piped up.  “Is he okay?”

Aether nodded.  “Bennett’s okay.  He asked me to come back here to let you know that he’s doing alright in Natlan right now.”

“Is he on his way back?”

Aether hesitated for a moment.  When he had asked Bennett that before teleporting away, the boy seemed to look away for a moment.  Then, he said, “To be honest...I kinda wanna stay a while.  I’ve been wanting to see more and more of Teyvat, and Natlan’s definitely high up there, so I mean, even though I got dropped down into that afterlife place, it really just put this opportunity in my lap, huh?”

“Well, right now, it seems like he wants to stick around.  In Natlan, I mean.”

“Huh!?” Fischl squawked.  “Seriously!?  Razor, are you hearing this?”

Razor hummed in agreement.  “If Bennett chooses to stay, I trust.   Bennett’s strong,” Razor grunted as he tore into a steak.  “He survives, always.”

“B-But-!” Fischl flopped her head on the table.  “We had so many plans...”

“There, there, it’s okay, mein Fräulein,” Oz murmured as he pat her head with his wings.  “He’ll be back.  I know it.” Oz looked at Aether like he was saying, “Right?”

Aether nodded.  “I-It’s not like he’s going to stay forever, just until he’s content.  He’ll be back, promise!”

Fischl let out a wet, loud sniff.  “He better!  If he doesn’t, next time I see Benny, I’m giving him a big shock, on my authority and word as the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!”

Aether smiled as her familiar mannerisms crept out again.  Oz chirped, “She’s simply glad he’s okay.  She’ll wait as long as it takes.”

“Oz!”

Chapter Text

Bennett awoke to a morning in a different nation, in a foreign bed.  Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he remembered, Oh yeah.  I’m in Natlan now.

---

After collecting his knapsack, a simple leather thing that’s managed to survive the years, Bennett took one last glance at the room Mavuika had gotten for him.  It was simple, but cozy, with a bed, desk and chair, and a few other furnishings about it.  She said if he wanted, she could have the room arranged for a longer stay, but he declined, feeling that was a bit much for the time being.  With everything gathered, Bennett stepped out of his room to a greeting from a familiar duo.

“Good morning Bennett!!” Paimon said in her usual high voice.

“Did you sleep well?” Aether followed up.

Bennett smiled as he nodded.  “Yeah, no worries!  Did you deliver my message to everyone back home!”

“Yup,” Aether nodded.  “Your dads were just mostly relieved you were okay; Fischl seemed kinda bummed, but Oz said she would wait as long as it took.”

Bennett's cheeks took on a light blush.  “Yeah...that sounds like Amy, alright...I mean, Fischl!”

Aether and Paimon just glanced one another before looking back at Bennett, smug looks on their faces.

“So, Bennett, got any plans?” Aether inquired as the two reached the top of the spiraling stairs.

Bennett looked up for a moment, thinking.  “I guess go start looking around?  I remember that shark girl-”

“Mualani?”

“Yeah, Mualani!  Last night, while the party was winding down, she said I should visit.  Do you know where she lives?”

“Yeah, the People of the Springs!  It’s great there, there are hot springs and lots of yummy snacks!” Paimon said with a slight drool.

“I bet you mostly remember the snacks, Paimon.” Aether teased.  Paimon did one of her usual indignant screeches as he turned back to Bennett.  “That sounds like a good idea.  I’ve only really been to three tribes so far, but the people of Natlan are pretty nice, you should go around!”

Bennett nodded with a smile.  “Sounds like a plan!”

Aether perked up, remembering a detail as the two almost passed by an important desk.  “Almost forgot!  You should register here for the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“That’s right!” Paimon added on as she floated back next to the two.  “Aether got confused for a while why we couldn’t get commissions here in Natlan.  Then he remembered you’re supposed to register for every guild branch.”

Aether pouted.  “Hey, you forgot too, Paimon!”

Bennett smiled awkwardly as he stepped away towards the Natlan Adventurer’s Guild desk, Paimon and Aether starting a friendly back and forth.  He turned to the desk and gave one of his familiar smiles, one that he used whenever he checked in at the desk back in Mondstadt.  “Hey Katheryne!”

Katheryne returned the gesture.  “Welcome, adventurer Bennett.  You are here to register for the Natlan guild, correct?” Bennett nodded.  “Understood.  This will take a moment.”  After a few quiet moments, in which Aether and Paimon returned to normality to wait for Bennett, Katheryne spoke up again, reciting mechanically, “Natlan is a land full of challenge and opportunity, filled with powerful foes and unexplored ruins.  Be bold and confident, and you'll be able to seize these opportunities and accomplish great things.  Ad astra abyssosque, Adventurer!  Forge onward, to reach the stars and conquer the abyss!”

---

“Y’know, when me, Razor, and Fischl registered for the guild branch in Liyue, Katheryne said something just like that too!” Bennett chuckled.

“Oh yeah?” replied Aether, as the two of them - plus Paimon - exited the stadium’s hallways out into the entrance area.

“Mm-hmm!  Oh, and Razor said she smelled like iron or something.  Then Fischl said something along the lines of how, ‘her all seeing eye deduced that Katheryne wasn’t as she seemed,’ or something like that.” Leaning over, Bennett whispered to the Traveler and Paimon in a conspirative voice, “Between you and me, I think she might be some sort of robot.”

Aether pulled back, hiding a wide grin on his face as Paimon rolled over in the air laughing.  If only you knew how right you are, Bennett.

“Traveler!  Paimon!  Mr. Bennett!” A young voice suddenly called out.

“Ah, Kachina!  What’cha doing here?” Paimon gleefully said in reply as the young girl ran up to them.

“I just wanted to see how you were all doing after the party.  I saw Mualani with Kinich on the way here, and it kinda looks like Mualani had too much last night.”

“Ha, that’s saying something!”

Kachina nodded with a grin.  “How about you, Mr. Bennett?”

“A-Ah, me?” Bennett pointed at himself.  When Kachina nodded again, Bennett couldn’t help the small smile on his face.  “I’m doing good so far.  Just thinking what kind of stuff I could explore around here in Natlan.”

As the conversation went on, mainly between Kachina, Paimon, and Bennett, Aether stepped back to think on what to do himself.  There were some ruins not too far from where the Scions of the Canopy were that looked promising, but at the same time, Bennett could’ve also used a helping hand in looking around Natlan as a newcomer.  It was pretty nice of Kachina to have given him and Paimon an impromptu run down of the land when they first arrived...wait a minute...

“That’s it!” Aether suddenly exclaimed, and the other three jumped.

“‘That’s it?’  What’s it?” Paimon tilted her head.

Stepping into the conversation circle, Aether looked to Bennett, then to Kachina.  “Bennett, you want to look around Natlan, right?”

“Huh?  Yeah, sure.  It’s pretty exciting being able to explore a new place in Teyvat!”

“But you probably don’t know where to go?” Aether followed, a small smirk forming.

“Ahh, got me there Aether...” Bennett chuckled.  “I was actually thinking of asking you for help with some places to check out.”

“Well,” Aether pat Kachina on the shoulder with a growing smile.  “Kachina here helped me and Paimon get our bearings when we first arrived in Natlan.  Maybe she can help you too?”

“Ah, well-” Bennett stuttered, but Kachina beat him to the punch.

“That sounds great!” She chirped.  Taking him by the hand, she began to pull him away, heading towards the main bridge leading in and out of the stadium.  “C’mon, I’ll bring you to my tribe, I think you’ll like it!”

Bennett couldn’t really do anything but go along as Kachina dragged him away; besides, seeing how energetic she was, it would’ve been kinda rude to reject her now, wouldn’t it?  With an uneasy smile, Bennett waved at Aether and Paimon, who flashed back smiles that felt like the way a mentor would smile seeing a student’s accomplishments.  Oh boy...guess I’m in for it now, huh?

Chapter Text

In spite of her initial bounding enthusiasm, after pointing out a few important monuments and spots, such as the small encampment and tower that gave a great view of the Stadium, the flow of conversation between Bennett and Kachina eventually fizzled out.  An uneventful lull fell between the two of them as they continued down the path leading towards where Kachina said her tribe, Nanatzcayan - otherwise known as the Children of Echoes - were settled into a ravine.

As the two of them passed by a caravan of alpacas, Bennett let out a whistling breath, mustering a bit of courage to try and get something started.  “So...how did you meet Aether?”

The pika-girl jumped as the quiet lull came to an end.  “Eh?  Oh, Aether?” Bennett nodded in affirmation.  “Oh, it’s a little bit embarrassing to be honest...”

“Ahh, then you don’t have to share-!”

“They first met me when I was having trouble with forming a team for the Pilgrimage.”

“The...pilgrimage?” The Pyro wielding adventurer tilted his head in confusion.

“Oh!” Kachina seemed to pipe up a little as the flow of conversation seemed to back into something she was familiar with.  “It’s a tournament where warriors are chosen to fight in the Night Warden Wars against the Abyss.  It’s an honor to fight, so it’s a big deal!”

“War?  But aren’t you-”

“A bit young?” Bennett awkwardly smiled as Kachina finished his statement.  “Don’t worry, I’ve heard that more than a few times,” Kachina mumbled, a small, melancholic smile on her face.  “But, as the bearer of the Ancient Name ‘Uthabiti’ I’m obligated to take part in the Pilgrimage.  Although...I haven’t had much luck until just the past Pilgrimage, so before it began, my teammates left me...”

That definitely struck a chord.  Bennett felt a pang of sympathy in his chest, one a bit too familiar to him.  Being ditched, huh?  That sounds... “Just like me...”

“Huh?” Kachina looked at Bennett.

“Ah, did I say that out loud?” Kachina nodded, and Bennett let out a little laugh.  “I was just thinking that that sounds a lot like me.”

“Really?”

“Yup,” Bennett replied with a popped ‘P’.  “I’m known back in Mondstadt for being super unlucky; even though I’m the leader of Benny’s Adventure Team...well, for a while I was the only member.  Everyone else left because of just how bad things could get around me.”

Kachina looked around, as if looking for something that was approaching.  “But...I’m with you right now, and nothing bad has happened?”

Bennett grabbed at his head as he let out a groan.  “That’s the problem right now...nothing bad is happening!  Which means something terrible usually does soon!” Ignoring the pitied look Kachina was giving him, Bennett continued.  “Jack left after an earthquake got us stuck, Royce left after Klee accidentally blew us up, Heckler left after he got food poisoning...ugh, only really the Traveler stuck around.”

“Is the Traveler part of your adventure team?”

“Kinda.  He's a bit of an informal member, since he leads his own adventure team.”

A shine appeared in Kachina’s eyes at that.  “He has his own adventure team?” she blurted with barely muted excitement.

Bennett smiled wide, feeling a little glad that things were moving towards something a bit more light.  “Yup.  ‘Aether’s Adventure Team!’  I met him a while back after he helped quell the Stormterror Crisis with the Knights of Favonius.  It’s honestly really amazing how much he’s done.  He’s like the protagonist of this world or something...” Bennett ended with a laugh, remembering the exact words he had said that day when he and Aether had gone on that expedition together.  For some reason, something about it just felt right .  Like it was a truth.  But anyway, enough about that, they were talking about the Pilgrimage!

“A-Anyways,” Bennet cleared his throat.  “What were we talking about before?  The Pilgrimage?”

“Your adventure team?” Kachina said at the same time.  The two stared at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing, drawing an odd look from a distant passing Yumkasaurus and its young.  After their short burst of laughter ended, Kachina composed her self and asked, “You said you were the only member for a while, right?  Does that mean you have people on your team now?”

Bennett’s smile turned positively sunny.  “Yup, I’ve got people on the team now!  Fischl and Razor.  Fischl is one of the guild’s top adventurers and investigators, she’s incredible!”

“Have you known her for a while?”

“Yeah, since we were kids, actually!  We’ve been adventuring together for a few years now, but it was only a bit recently I invited her to join my team, same thing with Razor.  Razor, I actually met him on accident.  I was doing a commission in this place called Wolvendom when I got attacked by those Abyssal wolves.  I thought I was going to be overwhelmed, but then, Razor came in and saved me!  It took a while for him to warm up to me, since he was raised by wolves, but we’re all a team now.  Me, Fischl, and Razor.”

Kachina paused, her eyes going wide.  “Wait.  This Razor person was raised by wolves!?”

Bennett chuckled.  “Took me a while to get used to it.  He’s a bit wild, but he’s a good guy.  Maybe someday they can come over here, I think you’d like ‘em!”

“Yeah...yeah, that sounds great!”

---

Feeling good, the two continued down the road leading to the Children of Echoes settlement, continuing to talk about Natlan and Mondstadt, respectively.  That is, until a road block leaped out at them.  Literally.

“Give us all yer money!”

An intruder to their conversation suddenly jumped out from behind some of the nearby foliage: a Treasure Hoarder alchemist, flanked by two burlier Hoarders, one armed with a hand axe, and another a hammer.

With trained swiftness, Kachina summoned her spear - the Mountain-Bracing Bolt - to the ready, while Bennett twisted around to see that several other Treasure Hoarders had them by the rear.  “Crap,” he hissed as he summoned his old reliable: a Traveler’s Handy Sword.  “They’re behind us too.”

“I see that,” Kachina muttered back.  She spun the spear, bringing the broad blade down near the ground, the shaft against her back in a low stance.  Bennett spaced his legs apart, right in front of left, as he brought his sword into a familiar position, ready to channel the power of his Pyro Vision.  “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything about nothing bad happening earlier...”

Bennett felt himself smiling in spite of their looming situation.  With the anxiety of beginning to creep into his belly, he mumbled,  “You’re telling me...”

Chapter Text

“Hey boss, I don’t think they’re gonna give us their Mora...” one of the two Treasure Hoarders flanking the alchemist mumbled.  “Guess that means we’ll have to take it from them, eh?” The chubby man raised his shovel, narrowing his eyes.

“No shit Sherlock,” his far burlier counterpart snapped.  “You drop your Mora right now, and we won’t have to give you a thrashing,” the bandit yelled as he hoisted a hefty hammer.

The alchemist just let out a dramatic sigh, readying a Pyro potion.  “Quit yer’ yapping you two, just get them already!”

The potion soared through the air, and Kachina and Bennett sprung into action as the Hoarders began to charge them.  Dashing forward, Kachina dodged the potion before blocking a downward strike from the Gravedigger.  With a twist of the shaft, she swung the butt-end of her spear right into the Hoarder’s face, sending him back with a pained groan.  She stepped back as the Crusher charged forward with his hammer, just missing her and slamming into the ground.  Then, channeling the power of her Geo Vision and that of Nightsoul’s Blessing, Kachina summoned her reliable Turbo Twirly, slamming it into the ground and sending the two brawlers back with a Geo enhanced shockwave.

Bennett, meanwhile, deflected a thrown dagger before moving to engage the first of the Treasure Hoarders charging at him.  A kick was deflected with a twist of his blade, before he retaliated by smashing the man’s face with the pommel of his sword.  The man dropped to the ground, clutching at a bleeding eye.  Bennett grunted as he deflected a crossbow bolt, then another dagger.  A man armed with an axe charged at Bennett with a yell, throwing his weight behind a jumping downward strike.  Bennett blocked with the flat of his blade, holding his ground as the bandit attempted to force all of his weight onto him.  Crap, there’s a lot of them-!  

Out of the corner of his eye, Bennett saw the Hoarder with a crossbow aim another shot while another throwing knife was readied.  With a bit of force from the hand braced against his blade, Bennett stepped to the side, redirecting the man’s axe to slide forward and off the blade.  The Treasure Hoarder, not expecting Bennett to fall back, stumbled, and the adventurer struck; channeling the power of Pyro into his fist, he slammed into the bandit’s stomach.  The Treasure Hoarder was thrown back, reeling and retching from the blow, but before he could recover, Bennett grabbed him by the collar, wrestling him in front as the bolt and knife flew forward.  The projectiles hit their comrade, who Bennett threw limp to the ground as he charged the ranged duo.

Panicking, the Marksman swung his crossbow at Bennett, who simply went under the clumsily aimed attack and slashed at the man’s legs, drawing blood.  He dropped to the ground, clutching at his now sliced up legs.  The Scout quickly rounded on Bennett, crying, “Dodge this!” as he threw out a roundhouse kick.  Bennett blocked the blow, but the force sent him stumbling back.  Just as he tried to get his footing back, Bennett suddenly felt an arm wrap around him, holding him by the neck while another attempted to wrangle his sword arm.

“You-you little shit!” the Treasure Hoarder with the bleeding eye growled as he slammed a fist into Bennett’s side.  “Get ‘em, now!”  The Scout, recovering from his blocked kick, readied a knife, but instead of throwing it, he simply began to approach, flipping the blade around in his fingers.

Bennett grunted and groaned as he attempted to wrench himself out of the Treasure Hoarder’s hold, but to no avail.  “Let-! Go!”

“Tough luck pal.” The bandit laughed.  “Give him a good stabbing, for my eye and the others.”

“With pleasure.” The Scout drawled as he drew closer.

Bennett, still struggling, spotted Kachina’s side of the fight from the corner of his eye: being locked in a three on one and forced to dodge the alchemist’s lingering Pyro potions, she was being pushed back on the defensive in spite of her strong start, the Treasure Hoarder Gravedigger and Crusher beginning to pound her attempts to block and deflect.  Bennett grit his teeth.  We’re not doing so hot.  C’mon, think!   Flexing his sword hand again, Bennett realized something: the Hoarder wasn’t doing anything to hold his other arm.

Bennett loosened his grip and his sword slipped from his right hand, right into his waiting left hand.  Channeling Pyro into the blade, scorching flames ran up the blade as he flipped it around, stabbing into the Hoarder’s stomach.  The man’s grip loosened, and Bennett wrestled him off, charging towards the Scout, who was fumbling now that the adventurer was no longer being grappled.  The power of his Pyro Vision still flowing, Bennett charged one powerful blow, slicing through the Scout’s stomach clean through.  Ignoring how the bandit dropped to the ground, he looked to where Kachina was.  She was holding her own, but with the relentless offensive of the three remaining Treasure Hoarders, she was definitely still on the back foot.

Elemental energy flowed through Bennett’s body, and with a rush of strength, he leapt up into the air, flames roaring off of his blade, before slamming it down onto the remaining Treasure Hoarders cornering Kachina in a fiery explosion.  The three Treasure Hoarders screamed and yelled as they were flung away from the blast or scorched by the flames; Bennett, meanwhile, simply stood back up.  “Kachina?  Are you okay?” he asked as he flexed his sword hand.  That move always made him feel a little sore, even if he didn’t send himself flying as much as he used to.

“Yeah, right here!” Kachina pushed herself up from the ground, propping herself up with her spear.  “I-Is that all of them?”

Bennett looked around.  One lay dead from being used as a meat shield, one was left clutching a bleeding leg, another disemboweled, blood pooling on the ground, while another slowly tried to crawl towards them, slowed by a bleeding eye and a burning stab wound; eventually, he stopped, dead.  And of course, the three who got blown away.  “Yeah, I think that’s all of them-”

“Behind you!” Kachina suddenly cried.

That wasn't all of them; the alchemist now recovered, was charging them with a hand axe.  “Bastard!”

Bennett felt a jolt of shock - he wasn’t down!?  Bennett immediately moved to swing his sword up, but no - the alchemist was already too close, and Bennett's hand still too sore.  Mentally, he braced himself for whatever chopping blow would hit him; Kachina, however, pushed him out of the way with, and with a swing of her spear, she struck.  With one clean slice, the alchemist's hand went soaring through the air, axe and all.

The Treasure Hoarder alchemist dropped to his knees, screaming in pain. “My hand!”  He clutched at the bloody stump where it once was, glancing for a split second at where it now lay a few meters away.  The other two Treasure Hoarders slowly picked themselves up, sporting nasty burns and bruises themselves.  “ARGH, fuck-!” The alchemist glared at Bennett and Kachina.  “You’re dead if we see you again!” Without another word, he jammed his remaining hand into his pocket, threw something on the ground, and vanished in a cloud of smoke.  Whoever else was alive did the same, leaving behind three bodies, and an eerie calm.

---

With a shaky breath, Bennett slid to the ground; with the adrenaline of battle wearing off, he was starting to feel a little shaky in the legs.  Kachina leaned on her spear, sucking in deep breaths.  Gingerly, she lowered herself to the ground, sitting down next to Bennett.  The boy in question looked around at the road; just minutes prior, they were walking and talking like friends - were they friends now?  Then, the Treasure Hoarders jumped out at them, they fought, and now three of them lay dead, including one dismembered hand.  Turning to Kachina, he said the only thing he thought of: “I guess that’s all of them?”

He wasn’t sure if what he said was oddly funny, or it was simply because the warrior’s rush was wearing off, but Kachina ended up laughing.

Chapter Text

In spite of Bennett’s misfortune seeming to flare up in the form of a bandit ambush, Kachina and Bennett were thankfully only left with small scratches and bruises for it.  Kachina had some salves on hand too; combined with Bennett’s bandages, they walked away feeling not much worse than when they had been jumped.  After a bit of hesitation, the two decided to leave the bodies of the Treasure Hoarders by the roadside.  It didn’t feel right to just leave them as they lay, but at the same time, burying them was too much effort for how tired they were feeling, especially since they just tried to mug the two of them.  Probably best to let scavengers or whatever else deal with them.

“Hey Kachina, can I ask you something?” Bennett asked after some time of walking.  On habit, he rubbed the spot under his nose.  He always seemed to be doing that, now that he thought about it.

Kachina hummed in faux-contemplation.  “Sure, but only if you answer a question from me too!”

Bennett chuckled.  Only a few hours together and things seemed to be going pretty well between them.  “Sounds good.  Right, so, I never actually found out...why were Aether and your friends looking for you?”

“Oh.  Well, it’s related to the Pilgrimage.  See, it’s split into two parts: a team section, and a solo tournament.  Since I haven’t done too well in previous Pilgrimages, my teammates left to join someone else...”

A little flame went up in Bennett’s head at the mention.  “Ah, I remember, we were talking about that before the Treasure Hoarders ambushed as.  Right, so what changed this Pilgrimage?”

Kachina beamed at the memory of her first meeting with the Traveler and Paimon.  It was probably only a few weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime with everything that had happened since.  “Well, after my teammates left, I met Aether and Paimon!  I offered to show them around, and they decided to help me train for the Pilgrimage!”

“Really?  That sounds just like Aether and Paimon.”

“Yup!  In the end, I teamed up with Mualani for the team section, and we got through.  The solos were tough, especially since I had to fight Mualani at the end, but I made it!  So, that’s how I ended up on the team to fight in the Night Warden Wars.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Bennett said with a warm smile.  “What happened after?”

Kachina’s ears drooped.  “...things were going well.  Then they weren’t.  I ended up being the only one to fall in the Night Warden Wars.  We were fighting the Abyss one moment, then, something jumped out at me, and I was gone.”

“Wait...you were 'gone', does that mean...” Suddenly, the whole bit about Aether and the others searching for Kachina began to make more sense.  And there were those soul like things down there too...“You died!?” Bennett felt a wave of disbelief and shock crash over him.  “So that Night Kingdom place really was the afterlife!?”

Kachina awkwardly smiled.  “Yeah, it is.  B-But don’t worry-!  Well, don’t worry too much, but we have something called the Ode of Resurrection, it lets fallen warriors come back as long as someone returns from the Night Warden Wars.”

“But you were still down there?!”

Kachina faltered.  Bennett went quiet as well, but Kachina regained her confidence after a moment.  “The Abyss is causing damage to the Night Kingdom.  That’s why we fight in the Night Warden Wars, so Natlan isn't destroyed.  Because of the Abyssal damage, the Pyro Archon wasn’t able to bring me back with the Ode, so that’s why everyone was down there.  To rescue me.”

“Archons...” Bennett was really starting to feel the implications of him being tossed out into the Night Kingdom.  It felt like an unwelcome ice bath on Dragonspine.  “If I was stuck down there...Oh, gods, I really hope I didn’t secretly die, and there was some sort of mix up with my soul...”

Kachina pat Bennett on the back as reassuringly as she could.  “Hey, hey, it’s okay!  I mean, you’re here with me now, so I don’t think you somehow died.”

“Ahh, I guess so.  Still, it’s just - the afterlife?  That’s - it’s just kind of crazy to think about.  In Mondstadt we say that Barbatos carries away souls to the afterlife on the wind, so the idea of being able to actually travel to the afterlife while alive is just a bit out there, y’know?”

“I get it,” Kachina replied with a nod.  She also gave him a smile, just for a bit of reassurance.  “Anyways, I think I’m just glad that everyone made it out of the Night Kingdom okay.  And I’m really happy that everyone came to rescue me.  I’m not sure how I could thank them all, but knowing them, I think they’d just say, ‘it’s okay, you’re our friend after all!’”

“Sounds like Mualani.”

Kachina giggled.  “It does!  Well, that’s your question, my turn!”

Bennett smiled.  “Alright, I’m ready.  Shoot.”

“How did you learn how to fight?” A sparkle of curiosity shone in Kachina’s eyes.  “You dealt those Treasure Hoarders so handily, so I was just wondering, did someone teach you?”

Bennett paused to think.  Oh man, and I think I’ve had a lot of teachers.  “Well, it started with my dads at the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Your ‘Dads?’”

“Ah.  Well, according to them, a veteran adventurer brought me to the Guild branch in Mondstadt when I was just a baby.  He...died, not long after, so I’ve basically been raised by the Guild itself since.  Because I was raised by adventurers, well, it was only natural I become one, right?”

“And that’s how you started.” Kachina concluded with a nod.

“Yup.  I used to run away at the first sign of danger at first; I’d go towards a treasure chest, only for something like a whole tribe of Hilichurls to jump out at me.  So, my dads started teaching me how to fight with a sword, and my adventures did a lot of the rest of the teaching for me.  After I got my Vision, I definitely got stronger, but I didn’t really know how to control my Pyro output too well, so I’d sent myself flying all the time charging up too much.  That’s when Master Diluc offered to train me!”

“Who’s that?”

“He’s the master of the Dawn Winery, it’s a huge estate in Mondstadt.  He’s got a Pyro Vision, like me, and he also uses swords.  He said he wanted to help after seeing me getting myself blown up dealing with monsters in my commissions, so I started training with him.”

“And how did that go?” Kachina skipped over a rock that lay on the path; they were getting closer to the Children of Echoes.

“He taught me lots!  He taught me techniques for sword fighting and how to handle my Pyro better, so I don’t get sent flying all the time.  After seeing how he fights, I can definitely see why some people call him, ‘The Uncrowned King of Mondstadt.’”

“Wow...So you’ve had a lot of teachers.”

Bennett nodded with a small blush.  “You could say that.  That’s how I learned how to fight.”

“That’s amazing.  Maybe we can spar later!” Kachina’s attention was drawn away as she came to a stop, seeing what was in front of them.  “Ah, we’re here!”

It was a good while walking, and one skirmish on the way as well, but they made it.  Nestled within a ravine just further down the beaten path was the settlement of the Nanatzcayan - the Children of Echoes.

---

The nerves that Bennett had pushed away began to return as the settlement of Kachina’s tribe began to loom in front of them.  The ravine seemed so colossal and daunting, and yet, Bennett could see and hear the lights and sounds of civilization deep within.  Quite the daunting looking place.  But if Kachina herself was any indication, things were going to okay, right?

“C’mon, I’ll show you around!” Kachina said with a wave of her hand.  She began to run off into the settlement proper, a few tribes people greeting her as she passed.

Seeing Kachina run off, Bennett decided to swallow his nerves and bear a smile.  “Wait up!”

The settlement was amazing.  Bennett could tell that right away just from peering in from where the two currently were next to a Statue of the Seven.  It was a bit odd that there were no stairs or anything leading up the cliff where the Statue was, but Kachina quickly showed Bennett that for the Children of Echoes, no cliff was a problem.  Her Turbo Twirly got the two of them up the cliff face in no time.

As Bennett took in the sights, of both the Nanatzcayan settlement and the great view of Natlan itself, he absentmindedly asked Kachina, “Hey, Kachina, how does your drill work?  Is it powered by your Vision?”

“Mm, partially.  It’s mostly powered by Phlogiston, an energy only really found here in Natlan.  Big sis Xilonen made it for me a while back as a gift after I got my Ancient Name.”

“Oh, really?  She sounds important.”

Kachina nodded.  “She’s one of the best craftsman - or crafts woman - in all of Natlan!  She’s known for forging Ancient Names, but she’s done plenty of other stuff too, like my Turbo Twirly.  The Pyro Archon visits her all the time for personal projects, but between you and me, Mr. Bennett,” Kachina hushed, leaning in a bit closer to the adventurer.  “Xilonen always sounds a little bit tired when it comes to the Pyro Archon’s stuff.  But she gets it done anyway, so I guess the Pyro Archon knows to rely on her!”

Bennett laughed - an image of a certain red-haired winery owner and a green-clad bard popped into his mind.  “She sounds amazing.  You think we’ll run into her down there?”

Kachina just shrugged.  “Maybe,” she said.  “Xilonen likes to take naps in trees all the time, so it’s honestly a coin flip when it comes to seeing her in her workshop.”

“By the way, you don’t need to call me ‘mister’ Bennett.”

“Huh?” Kachina flushed after a pause.  “Ah, was I still doing that?  I’m sorry!”

An awkward smile cracked out on Bennett’s face - geez, he’s been doing those a lot, hasn’t he?  “It’s okay, I get it.  Just call me Bennett.  We're-we are friends, right?”

“Friends...” Kachina seemed to mull the word over for a moment, before turning absolutely radiant.  “Yeah, friends!” Grabbing his hand, she began to pull him into the Children of Echoes settlement with surprising strength for her size.  “Let’s go, Bennett, you haven’t even seen the inside yet!”

Indeed, Bennett had only just seen the surface of the tribe.  Once they were inside the ravine itself, a constant thrumming seemed to resonate in his body.  Whether it was from the constant music playing somewhere else or the buzz of activity, he wasn’t quite sure.  “This is big sis Xilonen’s workshop!” Kachina pointed out as they passed by.  It was a bit more modest than Bennett was expecting, but it certainly had the look of a workshop.  “Hmm, doesn’t look like she’s in right now...if she is, it’s probably best to leave her be for now, she’s always super busy.” Kachina mulled.  She mentally noted to potentially loop around later and see if Xilonen was around then.

As Bennett and Kachina passed a view of the main stage - as usual, there was a whole dance battle going on - a few people called out, greeting Kachina’s return.  A few also said a hello to the friend she had returned with; Bennett found himself giving a few more introductions than he initially expected.

Just as they were about to cross the bridge to the next part of Kachina’s informal tour, the ground shifted, and a little Tepetlisaur jumped out of the earth.  Unfortunately, it jumped out near where Bennett’s foot was, sending him tumbling to the ground; Kachina giggled at the sight, before leaning down to pet the little whelp.  “Hey Ayo!  This is my new friend, Bennett, he’s from Mondstadt!” Bennett sat himself up, coming face to face with Ayo.  “Bennett, this is my Saurian companion, Ayo!  He’s grown up alongside me.”

Bennett gave the Tepetlisaur whelp a wave.  “Hello!” Ayo cutely roared something back in his little voice.

“I think he likes you!” Kachina giggled.  “Try petting him, he likes it a little around the ears.” Hesitantly, Bennett reached out one of his gloved hands.  Ayo tilted his neck upwards as Bennett reached the underside of his ears, which he began to scratch.  Ayo crooned at the petting, letting out happy little chirps.  “Hey, you’re pretty good at this!”

Bennett felt his cheeks warm a little.  “Hehe, thanks,” he replied while scratching his head.  “First time I’ve pet a...uh...”

“Saurian.”

“A Saurian.  First time I’ve pet a Saurian!” Bennett exclaimed with a shine in his eyes.

With his desire for pets fulfilled, Ayo dove back into the ground, burrowing away.  “That reminds me,” Kachina started.  “If you see a Tepetlisaur with a red scale next to its horn with a bandana wrapped around its tail, say hi!  It’s Paimon and Aether’s Saurian companion.”

“Oh, he has one?  I didn’t know that.”

Kachina nodded.  “I think he’s called Armavillo; he comes and goes as he pleases, so I’m not sure what he’s always up to.”

Crossing the bridge, Kachina and Bennett arrived in front of the tribe’s Obsidian Totem.  “This is our tribe’s Obsidian Totem!  It symbolizes our connection to the Wayob.”

“The Wayob...we saw one in the Night Kingdom, didn’t we?” Bennett recalled.  After the Kachina rescue squad picked up Bennett, they found Kachina, then a Wayob totem.  Bennett didn’t remember too much of the encounter; probably because a Pyro Abyss Lector arrived to crash the party not long after.

“That’s right.  They connect us to the Night Kingdom and help protect us from the Abyss.”

“Like a god?”

“Kinda?  We believe that the Wayob dwell in the earth, and the Pyro Archons come from above.”

Bennett snapped his fingers.  “Oh, like the Four Winds!” Kachina gave him a blank stare.  “Oh, uh, they’re four powerful beings entrusted by Barbatos to protect Mondstadt.  I actually met one of them before, thanks to Razor.  Andrius, the Wolf of the North.  Not sure about the other three, though.”

“That’s amazing!  You’ll have to tell me sometime.”

Bennett simply nodded.  Kachina began to talk about something else, but Bennett didn’t quite hear her.  Now that he was in front of it, the Wayob totem seemed imposing, but in an almost reassuring way.  Even without using Elemental Vision or otherwise, he could sense an energy from it.  Was that what Kachina meant when she said it was their connection to the Night Kingdom?  A nagging feeling in the back of his head abruptly told him something: You should touch it.

Normally, Bennett didn’t touch ominous things, especially if it was something like a religious artifact, but something about the idea just felt... right .  Slowly, he reached out, right fingers extended.  Kachina seemed to quiet, but he didn’t notice.  All he was really focusing on was himself, and the totem of the Wayob.  

Then, his fingers brushed against the obsidian surface.  

Even through his glove, it felt cool to the touch.  Almost like the sensation was radiating through him.  He placed his whole hand against the totem, and the coolness began to turn...warm?

Just as quickly as he touched it, he felt a jolt, quickly going from his hand and all the way through his body.  It felt like lightning - or maybe the initial surge of a reborn flame?  A sensation, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, washed over his body, and Bennett yanked his whole body back.

“Bennett?  Are you okay?” He heard Kachina whisper as she suddenly appeared at his side.  “You went into some kind of trance just now...”

He did?   “I-I did?  I didn’t notice...”

Kachina looked around; nobody was around to witness whatever that was.  A bit unusual, considering the totem was a focal gathering point for the tribe.  “Let’s sit down somewhere, it’s been a long day.  Maybe you’re just tired.”

As Kachina began to guide him away, Bennett looked back at the Obsidian Totem.  It almost felt like it looked back.  He suddenly felt so , so tired.  “Yeah...Yeah, that sounds good.”

---

When awareness returned to Bennett, he realized he was sitting on a stone bench somewhere, alone.  It seemed like he was in a market area, based on the number of people and the stalls everywhere.  But the sun was starting to set, and people were already starting to return home with their purchases.  Kachina was nowhere to be seen too.  The Mondstadtian youth sighed.  What came over me?  I touched the totem, then...

Bennett slipped off his gloves, one at a time, stuffing them into his waist bag.  A finger brushed against the cool glass of his Pyro Vision, which he detached from its spot on his waist bag.  Holding the Vision in his left hand, he could feel a subtle warmth as it glowed red, before looking at his right.  It looked the same as usual: scarred with a lifetime of cuts and burns, the skin still somewhat red from his early experimentation with his Vision.  He clenched his hand; whatever force he had felt touching the Wayob had faded, leaving only a sense of encroaching fatigue.  He sighed again.  That shock the totem gave me...what was that?

“I’m back!”

Kachina’s voice broke Bennett out of his stupor as she plopped down on the bench next to him.  She placed two steaming mugs and a plate with food between them.  “I figured you might be hungry, so I bought some BBQ beef skewers.  I got some Xocoatl too, hope you like it!” Bennett picked up one of the skewers and - feeling a little bit like Razor - tore a hearty piece of meat off with his teeth.  Salty, sweet, and savory flavor exploded on his tongue with just that first bite.

Seeing a sparkle appear in Bennett’s eyes, Kachina let out a giggle, which was only about half relief.  As she ate her own skewer, her thoughts drifted back to whatever it was that happened at the Wayob totem.  She had just started talking about something else when he went off into his own world... “Oh yeah, I’ve seen these elemental creatures out in the wild’s of Natlan before.  I’ve heard they’re manifestations of the Wayob, but I haven’t seen one myself...” Kachina trailed off as she realized Bennett wasn’t quite listening.  Rather, he was staring straight ahead at the totem, an odd look in his eyes.  There was no particular expression on his face; no curiosity, or fear, or anything much, as he slowly reached an arm out towards the totem.  “Bennett?  Hey, Bennett?” She walked up to him, raising her voice.  “Bennett?  Are you with me?”  

Then, he touched the Wayob monolith.  

He was only in contact with it for a brief moment before he jerked away like he had been electrocuted.  His expression returned to normal, morphing into realization.  “Hey, Bennett?  Are you okay?” Bennett seemed to have snapped out of whatever trance he was in, because he turned to look at Kachina.  “You went into some kind of trance just now...”

“I-I did?  I didn’t notice...” he muttered as he flexed the hand that had touched the totem.

Kachina looked around.  People normally didn't touch the totem, so it was fortunate nobody was around to see it.  Still, that was... weird .  “Let’s sit down somewhere, it’s been a long day.  Maybe you’re just tired.”  After guiding Bennett to a bench in the marketplace and sitting him down, she left to buy BBQ skewers, and after seeing a vendor nearby, some Xocoatl too.  That brought her back to the present moment, sitting next to Bennett and eating after a long day.  She took a sip of her Xocoatl while stealing a glance at Bennett, who seemed revived and back to normal now that he had good food at hand.

In the end, Kachina internally shrugged.  Bennett’s trance was... weird , yeah, but he seemed fine now.  Maybe he just got really absorbed looking at it?  Either way, Kachina thought, she was glad that she had a new friend.  Bad luck or not.

Chapter Text

When Kachina offered to let Bennett stay over at her family’s house in a spare room, he considered just camping out in the wilderness for a moment.  Luckily, Kachina’s parents were nice, although they asked him about a thousand questions, largely about how he had met Kachina.  When all was said and done, Bennett was simply relieved that he had a bed to sleep in at the end of the day.

None of that really compared to the dream he had that night, though.

---

He was on fire.  No matter where Bennett looked, he was surrounded by a sea of fire.  Lava was at his feet, and fire surrounded him on all sides.  All he felt he could do was lay down and pray it ended.  But he realized that he wasn’t being burned.  It was hot , but he wasn’t quite burning charred as he expected.  Forcing himself to stand up, Bennett tried to walk, but his feet simply sank into the lava.  As the fire seemed to clear, he spotted a figure, standing far out into the distance.  He was walking across the lava and fire.  But before Bennett could look at him properly, he woke up.

---

Bennett woke up, and pat himself all over.  He sighed in relief; good, he wasn’t on fire.  He took a moment to look around the guest room again: the bed he was currently sitting up on was simple, but comfortable.  Other than that, there was a nightstand, a desk and chair, and an empty wardrobe.  Other than a rug in the center of the floor, the room was relatively sparse on decoration.  Still, it was cozy, and Kachina’s parents were almost overwhelming in how welcoming they were.

Bennett slid out of bed and slipped on his boots, putting his goggles back on the spot atop his head and making sure he had his Vision and other usual essentials in his waist bag.  He took a deep breath - time to face a new day - and stepped out of the room, the door clicking shut softly.

“Good morning, Bennett!”

Bennett returned the gesture by giving Kachina a smile.  “Morning!  Sleep well?”

Kachina nodded.  Kachina hesitated for a second, before putting her hands together to ask Bennett, “Do you have any plans today?”

“Huh?  Well, not really.  I was thinking of looking around the area, but I’d probably get lost.  Why do you ask?”

“Well, Mualani and Kinich suggested that some of us should get together and train, since the Pyro Archon said that Natlan - I mean-!” Kachina paused, catching herself, which got a raised eyebrow from the older adventurer.  “Well, she said that things are only going to get tougher, with the war against the Abyss and all.  I was wondering if you’d want to join us...?” Kachina internally braced herself for a refusal.

But the warmth of relief filled Kachina when Bennett grinned and said, “Sounds great!  I’ll join you!”

“R-Really!?”

“Haha, of course.  Besides, I didn’t really get to talk to your other friends, even after they went through all that effort making saving us.”

Bennett swore he saw Kachina’s little poofy tail wagging as her smile got wider.  “I’ll go get ready!” she blurted as she skipped away back to her room, absolutely glowing.

Bennett was still chuckling as he entered the main room of Kachina’s family home; she was starting to remind him a bit of Klee.  “Morning, kiddo,” a deep voice called out.  “You and Kachina seem well rested.”

Snapping to attention, he returned the gesture to Kachina’s father, who was lounging on a couch while poring over a book.  “Ah, good morning sir!” Kachina’s father was a rather large person, with the most notable feature being that he had her eyes - or, to be correct, she had his .  She also seemed to have his strength too, because if they hadn’t said that he was apparently an archeologist last night, Bennett would’ve thought he was a warrior, with all of his muscles.

Light blue eyes curved in mirth as Kachina’s father let out a hearty laugh.  “I told you last night, you can just call me Awelo.”

Bennett scratched the back of his head as his smile turned a shade nervous.  “I-It’s just, I don’t want to sound rude in any way, we only just met-!”

“Kid, I’d almost consider it more rude if you kept calling me ‘sir’ when I said it was okay to call me Awelo.  Besides, if you’re a friend of the Traveler, then you’re as good a friend to us as he is.”

“Ah, alright then...Mr. Awelo.”

“That’s the spirit.” Awelo leaned back into the couch, taking a sip of some hot Xocoatl.  “Why don’t you sit at the table while you wait for Kachina?  Her mother should be getting some food ready.”

With a nod, Bennett sat down at the table.  Glancing at Kachina’s mother working in the kitchen, he saw her preparing what seemed to be packing some food; one pack already seemed complete, but she was getting to work on another already.  Internally, Bennett thought that it wouldn’t have been too surprising if she had overheard his and Kachina’s conversation, with Kachina seeming to have picked up her animalistic traits from her.  Kachina’s mother had dark green eyes, dirty blonde hair, and a pair of ears and a tail, just like her daughter.  It was quite easy to see where Kachina had gotten a lot of her traits.

After a few minutes, Kachina stepped into the room, fully geared out and carrying her backpack.  She was also carrying Bennett’s bag too.  “Alright, I’m ready to go!  And you forgot this,” she said as she tossed the bag over to Bennett, who caught it with a slightly embarrassed laugh.  “Don’t worry, I put some stuff in for you.  C’mon!”

The two ran out the door, Kachina’s mother following with the food.  “Be safe, you two, alright?” Kachina’s mother murmured as she leaned down to kiss Kachina on the forehead.

“Ah, mom-!  Not in front of Bennett!” Kachina quietly whined.  But, with a smile, she replied with warmth.  “Don’t worry.  We’ll be okay.”

“That’s the spirit.” Kachina’s mother handed off the food to the two of them; just before the two began to walk off, she added, “Bennett?”

“Ah, yes?”

Kachina’s mother smiled.  “Look after my daughter, okay?”

Bennett smiled in return.  “Of course I will, Miss Katsinam.”

Katsinam’s smile grew wider, a bit oddly so.  While it was definitely warm, Bennett could also see an underlying message as well: If Kachina isn’t home safe and sound, I’ll make you regret it.   With one last wave, Kachina and Bennett set off, bags of supplies on their backs, setting off from the home and into the rest of the Children of Echoes settlement.  Once they cleared the ravine, they’d through Tequemecan Valley to the agreed meeting spot in the plains, where the valley just met the Basin of Unnumbered Flames.

Once again, adventure in Natlan called.  And with passion, Bennett answered.

---

Several hours of walking later, Bennett and Kachina arrived at the spot - in which nobody else had arrived either.  It seemed they were early.  It was an open spot of plains, with a slight incline, just off the beaten path that led to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame.  Looking just up the hill, one could also see a Statue of the Seven surrounded by orange-brown stones.

“Oh, no one’s here,” Kachina muttered, looking around at the empty area they had chosen for their campsite.  “And I rushed doing my Phlogiston markings too...”

“Is that why they lit up when we were fighting the Treasure Hoarders the other day?” Bennett queried as he scanned the surrounding area.  Flat, open area, with no visible dangers around, except for a Tepetlisaurus and its whelp, who were giving the two of them puzzled looks.

“Yup.  Using Phlogiston is a key component of the Nightsoul’s Blessing, which is a big part of how we fight here in Natlan.”

Nightsoul Blessing, huh?   Bennett briefly rolled the words around in his head; he’d have to ask more about that later on.  “Anything you wanna do while we wait, Kachina?  Set up camp, maybe?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea!”

Setting up camp didn’t take too long, and still, nobody else had arrived yet, leaving the two of them with more time to burn.  Eventually, Bennett asked Kachina about her own fighting style, which led to an explanation of capoeira, then, to her offering to teach him so moves.  And so, that’s what they did.  No weapons in hand, Bennett and Kachina used only their hands and feet.  A few kicks there - some straightforward, and others that made Bennett twist and turn in ways he didn’t really think himself capable of doing - some hand strikes and jabs there, and even an evading flip or two.  With the flips, Bennett found himself getting stuck midway in a handstand or bending at the wrong time and flopping to the ground more times than he liked, but each time, Kachina laughed it off and helped him up.  It was nice.

Inevitably, there couldn’t be any practice without trial.  “Seems like you’ve got the hang of it already, Bennett!  You’re a fast learner!” Kachina exclaimed as the two were sitting down for water.

Bennett grinned.  “Well, it’s thanks to my great teacher, no?” Kachina turned a bit red with a giggle.

Slapping her knees, Kachina got up and got a few paces away from their gear.  “Alright, now come at me!”

“Eh?  L-Like, right now?”

Kachina shook her head like Bennett had said something silly.  “Of course I mean right now, we’re here to train, aren’t we?” Bennett stammered for a moment, but she quickly cut him off.  “And don’t worry about hurting me, I’m tough, you saw me yesterday against the Treasure Hoarders!”

Swallowing his trepidation with one last gulp of water, Bennett decided to accept.  “Alright then,” he replied as he stood up and brushed off his gloved hands.  “I throw a mean punch, though.”

Kachina grinned.  “Sounds like a challenge!”

The two got into positions, only a few paces away from one another; Kachina was in a low stance, crouching almost as she slightly bobbed back and forth, ready to dodge and counter.  The stances of capoeira were still a bit freshly formed in his mind, so Bennett took a stance he was familiar with: fists up, ready to block and punch like a boxer, but with his legs apart like what Kachina showed him before.

Bennett made the first move; stepping forward, he swung out one leg in an upwards kick.  Kachina bobbed backwards, letting the attack pass her by before twisting her evasion into a counter kick, bracing her hands on the ground for leverage while executing a spinning compass crescent kick.  Bennett leaned back himself, her kick just missing his face, before he attempted a martelo-roundhouse kick as she began to stand up.  But before the roundhouse could get near to making a definitive hit, Kachina suddenly disappeared from his line of sight, before he felt the one leg he had in contact with the ground be swept out from underneath himself.

He dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, his back to the ground.  “Ow...” he groaned as Kachina’s move caught up with him.  She sweeped out my leg...a drop move?

“Sorry, did that hurt?” Kachina piped up from above him.

Bennett waved his hand at Kachina’s concern.  “I’m okay, just surprised, is all.  Let me just...” Rocking himself forward, Bennett jumped back onto his feet, shaking out the soreness from his sudden reunion with the ground.  “Alright.  One more time?”

Kachina gave him a small smile as she took her position again; so did Bennett.  This time, she moved first, throwing an upwards kick that Bennett blocked with a knee, before he attempted a roundhouse again.  Kachina dropped to the ground, swiftly turning her defensive drop into a leg sweep like before, but instead of hitting Bennett’s leg again, her legs swiped at the empty air.  Looking a bit up, Kachina let out a small gasp as Bennett successfully pulled off an evading backflip before he twisted it around and dashed forward with a right hook.  Kachina brought up her hands to block, and felt her entire body get pushed as his fist made contact, before she was fully thrown to the ground as he followed it up by spinning around and striking at her with a backhand strike from his left, which sent her to the dirt as if she had been shoved there by his whole body.

Kachina gasped as the air was thrown from her lungs, leaving her stunned on the ground.  Wow...he caught on quick.

“Kachina?” Bennett appeared above her, smiling a little as he looked down at where she lay on the ground.  “How was that?”

Kachina smiled in turn; Bennett’s smile almost felt infectious.  “Pretty good!  You weren’t kidding about your punches,” she replied with a groan.  “I thought for a second you were going to fall for the defensive drop again...but that flip was pretty nice...yeah...!”

The Mondstadtian youth chuckled.  “Need a second?”

“Yeah...” Kachina groaned.  “Just a second...”

A few minutes later, as Bennett was helping Kachina up, a peppy voice piped up.  “Oh, hey, looks like you got here early!”

Bright whites and blues were accompanied by darker greens and blacks as two figures strolled up the hill towards where Bennett and Kachina sat side by side.  Which didn’t last too long when Kachina shot up with joy.  “Mualani, Kinich, you’re here!”

Mualani smiled and threw her arms out wide, saying back, “Yup, we’re here!”

Bennett watched as Kachina ran up to the two, bobbing on her feet as the three naturally struck up a conversation.  The darker one - that must’ve been Kinich - spoke up, crossing his arms.  “Sorry for the wait.  Hopefully you didn’t have to wait too long.”

Out of the blue, a flat, pixelated character of annoyingly bright neon greens and yellows popped up over his shoulder.  “Heh!  This guy got caught up doing courier work, can you believe that!?”

“Shut up Ajaw.” Kinich tch’ed as he flicked the 8-bit dragon with a finger.  Ajaw grew red and promptly began screaming something incomprehensible at Kinich, but the Turnfire simply tuned it out.  “Anyway, I got caught up doing courier work, and when Mualani came by, she insisted on helping.  Apologies for the wait.”

“Oh, it’s okay!  Besides, Bennett and I were able to get the camp set up and get started on some training.” Hopping back over to where Bennett was sitting, she grabbed him by the arm and hauled him off the ground, getting a “Wah!” out of him as she yanked him over to join the conversation.  “Bennett, this is Kinich, I don’t think you’ve met?”

“No, I don’t think so...” Bennett groaned.  Looking at Mualani, he said, “I remember you, uh...”

“Mualani!” she added helpfully.

“Yeah, Mualani.  We didn’t really talk at the party, did we?”

“Nope.  Did Kachina invite you here?” Bennett nodded.  “Great!  That means we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other!”

Kinich, meanwhile, looked at Bennett up and down, taking note of his features.  White hair, green eyes, and a bandage on the nose.   Then, he turned to Mualani.  “You were right about Bennett, Mualani.”

“Huh?  Right about what?”

“That he looks like Iansan.” Kinich replied in a deadpan voice.

Kachina couldn’t hold back her laughter.  So while she absolutely rolled around on the ground from Kinich’s delivery, Bennett mumbled, “That’s the second time someone’s said that...” Third time, if Bennett included his own meeting with her at the party, when he realized they really did look alike.  He returned to the present when he realized that Kinich’s attention was now on him.

“Bennett, right?” the Saurian hunter asked.

Bennett replied with a small smile and an outstretched hand.  “Yup, that’s me,” he replied as Kinich shook his hand.  “Leader of Benny’s Adventure Team,” he proudly declared.

“‘Malipo’ Kinich, from the Scions of the Canopy.  I was surprised when I heard someone else was stuck in the Night Kingdom aside from Kachina-”

“Lemme get a look at ‘em!” A voice screeched as Kinich’s pet familiar, Ajaw, shoved himself in-between the two of them, getting right in Bennett’s face.  “Heh!  Looks like another wimp!”

“Ajaw, don’t make a bad first impression here,” Kinich said as he pushed Ajaw to the side so he wasn’t in the way of proper eye contact.  “That’s Ajaw, my companion.  Ignore him, he’s like that with everyone.”

“Oi!  I am not your companion, lowly servant!” Fuming, Ajaw twisted around to Bennett, and getting in his face again, loudly declared, “I am Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw.  You’ll bow your head if you know what's good for ‘ya!” Instead, Bennett raised an eyebrow.  “Hey, the hell’s that!?”

This guy is like Oz if he was green...and with a way worse attitude.   Not that Oz was bad or anything, he was a perfect gentleman.  In fact, he’d probably be offended being compared to someone like Ajaw.

Mualani leaned over to Bennett, saying into his ear, “Just learn to ignore him.  He can’t really do anything without Kinich, so he’s really just an annoyance.  Anyway,” Mualani offered a hand to Bennett, who promptly took it, shaking a little at how vigorously the surfer shook it.  “I’m Mualani, a guide from the People of the Springs!  Nice to see you doing well, Bennett!”

“Oh, uh, you too!”

A slight, awkward lull descended on them as Bennett struggled to think of anything new to say.  Then again, his bad luck pushed away a majority of people in Mondstadt, save for Vision holders, who could deal with whatever fate threw at them, and his dads.  Not a ton of new people to meet and greet.

Thankfully, Kachina was there, watching attentively as Bennett greeted her friends.  “Glad to see you guys are getting along.  C’mon, let’s get set up!”

Kinich and Mualani packed light, since the plan was really to just camp out overnight.  That meant, once they put down their bags, it was time to decide on what to do.  “Bennett, you fought in the Night Kingdom alongside the others when they went to rescue Kachina, correct?” Kinich asked.

“Yeah, I did.  Why?”

“That would mean I’m the only who hasn’t seen how you fight.  Us three have trained together for some years now, so we generally know each other's strengths and weaknesses.  I think it would be good to first measure you out.”

“M-Measure me out?”

“Just see what you’ve got, that stuff,” Mualani added helpfully.  “Besides, I remember seeing you down there too, and you seemed to hold your own pretty well.”

Kachina nodded.  “I was teaching him some moves earlier, he caught on pretty quick!”

Bennett reddened as he turned to look away.  “Ahh, thanks...”

Kinich stood up and walked a few paces away from their little camp, standing on relatively flat ground that would easily give two people enough space for a spar.  “C’mon, don’t keep us waiting,” Mualani said with a pat on Bennett’s back.  “Kinich is pretty strong, so don’t worry about hitting him too hard or anything.” Kinich himself nodded.

And so, Bennett got up and moved to stand a few meters away from Kinich.  Kinich summoned a massive blue-green claymore and easily hefted it onto his shoulder as he waited, drawing a few surprised gasps from their spectators.  “Is that a new claymore, Kinich?” Mualani asked from where she was sitting next to Kachina.

“It is.  The Pyro Archon gave it to me as a gift to replace my old one.  She said it was called the ‘Fang of the Mountain King.’”

“You mean after she broke your last one fighting that Harbinger?”

Kinich let out an awkward cough while Ajaw giggled from behind him, before Kinich promptly sucked him back into his bracelet.  “Sure, something like that.  Are you ready?” he called out to Bennett.

Bennett let his actions be his response.  He summoned his Traveler’s Handy Sword and got into his usual stance, with his legs wide and the sword pointed at his opponent, raised up to near his shoulders with both hands.  “Ready!”

Mualani and Kachina watched as the two sprung towards each other, weapons rearing to strike.  Their weapons made contact, and the two leapt away as they pushed off of one another.  Bennett was quick, making swift slashes at Kinich, who dodged and deflected each one in turn.  Kinich did a short leap backwards, before turning his momentum forward and slamming his claymore into the earth, forcing Bennett to err on caution and pause his offensive.  Kinich leapt forward, poised to strike, but Bennett, pulling a massive amount of Pyro to his sword at the last second, slammed the blade into the ground himself.  The blast sent the both of them tumbling in opposite directions, Kinich doing a practiced flip to get himself righted before hitting the ground, while Bennett tumbled onto it, before rolling back onto his feet.

“You got this!” Mualani cheered as the two went back at it, exchanging blows.

“Who are you cheering for?” Kachina piped up as she watched the two young men.

Mualani just shrugged.  “Both of them, I guess.  How long have you been hanging out with Bennett, Kachina?”

“Oh, just a few days now!  Aether asked me if I could show Bennett around like I did for him and Paimon, so I guess that’s how it started,” Kachina replied with a shine in her eyes.

“And how’ve you two been getting along?”

“Pretty great!  He told me about Mondstadt and how he learned to fight, and I told him about the Pilgrimage and some stuff about Natlan on the way.” Kachina paused for a moment to think, before continuing, “We also got ambushed by some Treasure Hoarders on the way back home.”

“Wait, what?”

“Don’t worry, we fought them off!  That’s how I know Bennett is pretty strong!”

The two girls looked back at where Kinich and Bennett were still exchanging blows.  Bennett’s showing of his Pyro power signaled that elemental powers were now fair game, and the spar took on a new level.  Bennett grunted as he dodged to the side, a blast of Dendro barely missing him.  Kinich took the opportunity to fire off his Dendro grappling hook, attaching to Bennett as he began to circle him, firing off shots of Dendro.  Bennett deflected the first few shots before trying to charge towards Kinich, but Kinich simply slid backwards, staying out of range as he continued bombarding him with shots.

Seems like he struggles with range , Kinich mused as he kept up his Nightsoul’s Blessing, which kept forcing Bennett to either dodge or block.  Bennett suddenly jumped back, sword held over his left shoulder in a position for a heavy strike, left hand over the blade.  The few Dendro shots that Kinich fired then just simply hit Bennett; he shrugged off the sting of Dendro entirely as he forced Pyro to accumulate into his sword, flowing from his right into his blade, supplanted by a simultaneous concentration of power in his left.  The air grew hot as a massive amount of Pyro power was concentrated into one attack; Kinich, sensing danger, began to move backwards, still trying to fire off a few shots.

Bennett, with the image of a giant flaming Phoenix used by a certain Pyro claymore wielder in his mind, unleashed his attack.  He was nearly swept off his own feet from the recoil as a massive wave of flames launched forward, incinerating Kinich’s grappling hook and the shots of Dendro he fired off.

Mualani and Kachina watched with excitement at the wave of fire.  Kinich leapt back, the heat and shockwave forcing him away as his grappling hook was severed.  Before he was even on the ground again, the flames and smoke suddenly parted as Kinich suddenly found Bennett flying toward him, Pyro concentrated into his right fist.  He could only raise the Fang of the Mountain King in front of himself to brace against the attack as Bennett’s Pyro infused fist made contact.  Kinich winced at the intense heat of Bennett’s attack, the air itself seeming to burn from the sheer amount of Pyro he was condensing into one strike.  Kinich went skidding back from the force, while Bennett dropped to the ground, his fist still sizzling from his empowered strike.

For a moment, there was quiet, the silent void left from battle only filled by the labored breathing of two combatants and the sizzle of the remains of concentrated Pyro and Dendro.  Then, Mualani jumped up with a, “Woohoo!”

“T-That was really cool!” Kachina cheered as Kinich and Bennett picked themselves up, Kinich offering a strong hand.  Bennett took it with a grin and promptly joined the others as they sat down in a circle in the camp.

Bennett and Kinich took some moments to rest, drinking water and sitting with Kachina and Mualani.  Eventually, Bennett looked at Kinich with a little gleam in his eyes.  “So, how’d I do?”

Kinich took a swig of water from a canteen, wiping his mouth off as he replied.  “Mualani and Kachina were right; you’re strong,” Bennett turned red a little, while Kachina poked his arm with a wink.  “But it looks like you struggle with fine control in battle.  That first time you used Pyro, you sent yourself flying back, as much as you did me.  And those last two large attacks you did must not have been cheap on your energy reserves.”

“Ah, that’s true.  I’m kinda just used to throwing myself around, to be honest...”

“Well, we can work on that!” Mualani piped up.  “Have you ever tried channelling Elemental Energy throughout your body?”

“A few times, mostly just to jump up high.’

“Great, you already know a bit!  There’s something I think you can, c’mon,” Mualani said as she pulled Bennett to his feet.  “It’s a Natlanese warrior’s technique for the Nightsoul’s Blessing, but the basics should help, even if you can’t use Phlogiston.  Try channeling some energy through your body for me.”

Bennett obliged her, and with a bit of concentration, called upon the power of his Vision.  Rather than flowing into his fists or his sword, he let the energy flow throughout his body.  For a brief moment, he felt energized, like he and Kinich hadn’t just been going at it moments ago, before the high fizzled out.  “I had it for a second...”

“That’s okay, it takes a bit to learn.  It kinda came in a burst, right?” Bennett nodded.  “Instead of letting it die out by itself, try holding that state.”

“Visions respond to the user’s will,” Kinich added.  “Try to imagine grabbing that state of energy, like something you can hold.”

Grab it, huh?   Bennett tried again.  He closed his eyes, thinking on the power of his Vision, as he began to feel his weariness melt away. Raw elemental energy flowed freely through his body, not concentrating in any particular place.  What did they call it again?  Nightsoul?   The image of Kinich firing off blasts of Dendro while circling around him, glowing green, promptly popped up in Bennett’s mind.  Kachina used that when they were fighting the Treasure Hoarders too, didn’t she?  And it made them stronger too...wait, Bennett had something like that already!

Fantastic Voyage , his Elemental Burst.  Despite solo adventuring so much, it was ironically incredibly useful for the few times Bennett found himself fighting alongside allies; healing, granting a strength boost, purging rogue elements, it did it all at once.  Hmm...maybe instead of putting it down on the ground, he could try applying it to himself directly?  Bennett held the image of Fantastic Voyage in his mind, and the strength and healing that came with its effects.  The strengthening effects of Fantastic Voyage always felt like some sort of second reprise, or...the surge of a reborn flame?  The elemental energy coursing through his body began to feel more solid, intensifying as the idea behind Fantastic Voyage repeated in Bennett’s mind-

“You got it!”

“Huh?” Bennett looked up from his concentration.  He didn’t feel tired anymore, in fact, he felt energized again.  But this time, that feeling wasn’t slipping away so easily.

“You’re holding elemental energy!” Mualani exclaimed as she brought Bennett’s hand up towards his eyes.  In addition to feeling the flow of energy, he could also tangibly see the power seeming to seep off of himself, appearing as little flames and sparks that occasionally popped out of his skin in a sort of aura.

“Normally, this is combined with Phlogiston to establish a temporary connection with the Night Kingdom to induce the Nightsoul’s Blessing state,” said Kinich as he observed Bennett’s pseudo Nightsoul state.  “But for you, it should still be useful in battle for controlling your Pyro output.” Kinich dusted off his pants and stood up.  “Do you want to try holding it in a fight, Bennett?”

“Ooh, I’ll go next!” Kachina jumped up and grabbed Bennett’s hand, pulling a yelp out of the ashen-haired youth as she brought him back out into the opening.

Mualani giggled, and seeing Kachina’s enthusiasm, even Kinich couldn’t stifle a chuckle.  “Seems Kachina already has a new friend,” he mused quietly.

Mualani smiled, which Kinich couldn't help but reciprocate.  “You got that right,” she murmured as she and Kinich watched Kachina and Bennett summon their weapons.  “It's nice Bennett seems happy here too."

The two quieted as the second spar between Kachina and Bennett that day went underway.  Kachina activated her Nightsoul state, and in turn, Bennett channeled his Pyro power, activating his pseudo Nightsoul state.  Summoning Turbo Twirly, Kachina rode forward, strafing around Bennett before she lept up high, jumping out of her drill ride to plunge down with the Mountain-Bracing Bolt; to that, Bennett flipped backwards, Pyro dancing at his hands and feet.

He did that faster than before-? Kachina half thought before she brought up her spear to block Bennett’s counterattack.  The two briefly locked weapons, Bennett’s sword pouring with a continuous stream of Pyro, before Kachina pushed a bit harder, forcing him back.  With the adrenaline of battle running in her veins, she couldn’t help the small smile that worked its way onto her face.

Bennett couldn’t help but return the gesture.  Mualani, Kinich, Kachina, they were right, channeling elemental energy like this was helping.  He felt stronger, faster... better .  Something about it was even starting to feel natural already, in fact.  With Pyro constantly flowing across his sword, Bennett lunged forward with a spin, bringing his sword into the earth, scorching the grass and digging in deep.  Kachina dodged it, of course, but Bennett decided to give her no breathing room; not when he just felt so strong .

With some twists and braces of the shaft of her spear, Kachina was able to deflect most of the swings of Bennett’s flaming sword, but the few she ended up blocking full on caused her posture to falter, and the waves of fire that came off of his blade...they were hot .  Whatever Bennett had done to achieve a state of balanced elemental energy throughout his body, it was working pretty damn well; suddenly, he was able to attack relentlessly with Pyro, rather than in the short, explosive bursts she remembered him using against the Treasure Hoarders.  Well, if he was going all out, then Kachina was too!  Renewing her Nightsoul’s Blessing, Kachina summoned Turbo Twirly, pulling in more and more Geo and Phlogiston as she swung it in front of her, knocking Bennett back, before she executed her Elemental Burst!

“Clear the area!” she called out before launching a jumbo sized Turbo Twirly forward like a rocket.  The area between Kachina and Bennett was promptly blasted away as the colossal drill made impact, throwing up dust and earth in a massive cloud that obscured even Kinich and Mualani’s view of the battlefield.

When the dust cleared and settled, reality caught up with Kachina.  “Ah!  I got too carried away, didn’t I...” she mumbled under her breath as a decently sized hole burrowed in the ground became visible, Bennett laying flat on the ground some distance away.  “Bennett?  A-Are you okay!?” she cried as she ran over to where he lay against the ground.

She watched as the Pyro energy that flickered on the surface of Bennett’s body went out, his empowered state finally ending, with tiredness beginning to catch up.  Kachina breathed a sigh of relief as Bennett waved a floppy hand, replying, “Yeah, I’m good.  Just didn’t expect a giant drill rocket, is all.”  Then, he began to chuckle.  His chuckle then turned into a full on laugh.  “Hahaha!  A giant drill, that’s a new one!”

In spite of herself, amusement crept into Kachina, before she too began to laugh.  “W-Well, that’s my specialty, after all-hahaha!” 

The two continued to laugh, with Mualani sharing a bit of the mirth.  Ajaw, meanwhile, screeched, “The hell is so funny!?”

Kachina and Bennett probably would’ve laughed until the odd humor wore out, but their laughter was cut short when a whirring and clicking began to sound from the crater.  Glancing at one another, the two stood up, weapons in hand, and walked to the edge of the crater.  And not a moment too soon, something shot out of the ruptured earth, going up into the air before falling and settling to hover just above the ground.

“Crap, that’s-!” Kinich growled at the sight of the automaton as he summoned the Fang of the Mountain King, while Mualani summoned her catalyst, Surf’s Up.  Kachina and Bennett went on the defensive, raising their weapons as the newly unearthed Secret Source Automaton finished warming up.  

Glowing and whirring with its weapons ready, the Hunter-Seeker turned to them, ready for battle.

Chapter Text

Bennett yelped as he threw himself to the ground to dodge a burning laser.   “The heck is that thing?”

“Hunter-Seeker drone,” Kinich grunted as he suddenly appeared at Bennett’s side, pulling him back on his feet.  “Keep on the move, don’t let it hit you!”

Kinich zipped away, grappling onto a spot in the air and flinging himself to the Hunter-Seeker’s opposite side, firing off a shot of Dendro that made it turn around.  Its lights glowed as it began targeting the Saurian hunter, who threw out a grappling hook to begin circling the machine.  With the Hunter-Seeker distracted, Mualani was able to pelt it with Hydro projectiles relatively unbothered.  Looking a bit closer, it kinda looked like she was throwing - wait, was she seriously throwing balloon fish?

“Well that’s new...” Bennett mumbled as he gripped his sword.  “Kinda looks like those two have got this.”

“Yeah, they’ve been together for a while now.” Kachina said as she suddenly popped up next to him.  “Are you okay?  You’re not hurt?”

“Naw, I’m fine, I dodged that laser.” The two looked back to the battle; with Mualani and Kinich both pelting the drone with Hydro and Dendro respectively, Dendro cores were being created from Bloom, with the explosions of Dendro energy confusing the machine further under the simultaneous assault.  “How comes it’s not attacking us?  We’re just standing still.”

“Oh, uh, I think it prioritizes targets using Nightsoul,” Kachina replied.  She hadn’t faced Hunter-Seekers much, but a few inevitable run-ins in the wild taught her that using Nightsoul was an easy way to get its attention.  “Mualani and Kinich are the only ones using it right now, so it’s trying to get to them first.”

“Should we help?” Mualani jumped onto her shark surfboard as a laser was fired off at her, dodging it with ease.  “They seem to be doing pretty well, though.”

“Well, it’ll go faster if we help,” Kachina readied her spear.  “I’ll use Turbo Twirly to go in after their Nightsoul state ends, otherwise I might draw the drone’s attention too early.  If you go in now, you might be able to get off Burgeon on it.”

“Sounds good!” Bennett thought back to the technique he had just learned; the way the channeled Pyro throughout his body made him feel stronger, faster, better...he supposed it was time to see if it held up in a real battle.  With a burst of Pyro, energy rushed into Bennett’s body, filling him with strength as sparks and little flames of Pyro licked out from his body.  It was almost like it was overflowing.

Empowered by his Vision, Bennett charged in - only to get a few steps in before the Hunter-Seeker suddenly swung around - was it looking at him?

The drone suddenly twisted the two large half rings of its body up, dashing forwards in the blink of an eye, right in front of Bennett.  His eyes widened as the two half rings suddenly went alight with the machine’s own Pyro, forcing him to make a prompt jump backwards.  “Why is it targeting me!?” he yelped as he just barely jumped away from the attack; enough to avoid getting squished together as it slammed the two halves together like a clamp, but not enough to avoid feeling a bit of Pyro sear the exposed skin on his legs.

The Hunter-Seeker was suddenly targeting Bennett, firing off lasers and sending out shaped rams of Pyro energy at him.  Even after Kachina whipped out her Turbo Twirly to help, it was still adamant on attacking the ashen-haired youth.

Kachina circled around the Hunter-Seeker, occasionally attempting to jump up and slam down on it with the drill, but to no avail.  Even while occupying itself with Bennett and his attempts to close the distance, it was still able to detect her and dodge away before it got drilled.  Why is it targeting Bennett?  It should prioritize people using Nightsoul, so why isn’t it going after me?

“Hold on, you two!” Mualani called out.  Riding her shark surfboard like a missile, she shot up into the air, aiming the Hydro infused projectile at the Hunter-Seeker.  But just before she could unleash it, the drone suddenly paused.  It had been twisting and turning, entering a form that Kachina remembered as what it would do before it fired off a massive Pyro laser, which it had aimed pretty deliberately at Bennett, who had tried to run away from the targeting beam.  The Hunter-Seeker suddenly swung around, aiming right at Mualani .

“Mualani, look out-!” Kinich yelled.  Mualani only had a split second to change from launching her shark torpedo to bracing it in front of her as the Hunter-Seeker’s beam was unleashed in full, igniting the air around it and tearing through the torpedo in a massive Vaporize reaction.  “Mualani!” Kinich leapt into the air, catching her in his arms as she fell towards the ground.  Gritting his teeth, Kinich’s bracelet glowed as he called upon the power of the ancient dragon within.  “Ajaw!”

“Heh, can’t do this without me, lowly servant?” In a flash of light, Ajaw appeared from Kinich’s bracelet in a far more intimidating form, firing off a beam of pure Dendro at the Hunter-Seeker.  The drone’s mechanisms whined as it came under attack from the Dendro dragon, forcing it to divert its attention again.

Bennett grit his teeth.  Crap, Mualani got hurt!   Bennett stopped, plunging his sword into the ground, and with both hands free, he slipped off his gloves, tossing them onto the ground.  Time to do something crazy.   Conjuring a bit of Pyro into his free hand, he threw out a weak fireball at the Hunter-Seeker, which splashed against its armor.  “Over here!” The Hunter-Seeker turned to Bennett, its ‘eye’ glowing as it prepared to fire a beam at him.

Well, not this time.  Flipping his sword around, he aimed and threw it like a javelin, Pyro coursing through it.  The improvised projectile struck true, piercing through the Hunter-Seeker’s “eye” with a burst of energy that caused it to drop to the ground as its energy flow was broken.  He rushed forward as the machine sputtered and smoked, Pyro accumulating into both of his hands.  Just then, a spray of Hydro projectiles hit the machine, combining with the Dendro from Ajaw’s laser beams to cause Bloom; Bennett briefly glanced up to see Mualani with an arm outstretched, not looking too much worse for wear from the Hunter-Seeker’s laser.

Jumping up onto the machine, he brought his hands together, combining the swirling Pyro in his hands together into one large concentration.  The snarl of Pyro filled the air before the air itself ignited as his point-blank attack was unleashed.  Kachina yelped and drove away from the heat as Kinich shielded Mualani from the worst of it.  Even a good distance from the Hunter-Seeker and Bennett, the inferno he had just unleashed, combined with the Dendro cores, had sent out a wave of heat so fierce that it almost felt like the flames were licking the two of them up close.  Kinich couldn’t help a flinch as something soft landed next to them with a heavy thump, before groaning.

“Ow ow ow ow...” Bennett groaned as struggled tried to sit up, which Kinich realized when he saw the state of the adventurer’s hands; stripped of the usual layer of protective, heat-resistant gloves that Kinich noted that Bennett seemed to wear all the time, his hands were fully exposed, meaning he had taken the full brunt of his own inferno up close.  The skin on his hands was red, dotted with welts and blisters, like he had just touched a hot pan full on.  A moment later, Bennett flinched as his sword landed between his legs, just about missing his precious parts.  “D-Did I get it?”

Kinich looked back at where the Hunter-Seeker was.  Keyword was .  The surrounding earth had been scorched black - actually, not just black, some of was glowing red-hot, small stones reduced to bubbling melted masses, while the surviving grass continued to burn and scorch.  The Hunter-Seeker itself wasn’t spared the destruction - under such an intense heat, its metal body was glowing, turned soft and distorting as it cooled down in the air with a hiss.  The only part that seemed even partially okay was the ‘eye’, which, if it somehow came back to life, would be a miracle.  “Yeah...I think you got it.”

“Uh, Kinich?  You can let me go now.” Mualani giggled from underneath him.

“S-Sorry...” he mumbled with a bit of a blush as she slipped out from under him.  “Kachina, are you okay?” he called out.

“I’m good!” she yelled back in reply.

“Let’s get back to camp and patch ourselves up, then.”

As Kinich helped Mualani and Bennett to their feet (it was a bit difficult avoiding the extensive burns on Bennett’s palms), the Hunter-Seeker went unnoticed, none of the three noticing that the ‘eye’ stirred and glowed again from its seemingly dead state.  It began to charge up whatever little energy it had left for a final, desperate attack, but just as Mualani took notice and pointed towards it, a spear from above drove through the still soft metal body and straight through the eye.  The eye of the Hunter-Seeker flickered and died out for the last time, as it finally went down for good.  Kachina pulled out her spear, flicking it clean before hopping off of the corpse of melted metal and ancient machinery.

Hands on her hips, she proudly announced, “ Now it’s dead!”

Chapter Text

“Thanks for doing this again, Traveler,” Mavuika said as the Traveler walked into her office with a box of woven scrolls.  “I really hope I’m not taking too much time out of your day.”

“Oh, it’s no problem.” Aether replied with a casual wave of his hand.  He bent down, placed down the boxes of scrolls and records before bending back forward, pushing out and cracking his back with a series of satisfying pops.  “Is that all of it?”

“Should be.  Hopefully whatever I find in here can help us in future battles.” Some hours ago, Aether and Paimon had been loitering around the Stadium when Mavuika approached the two of them, asking about helping with some old records she had dug up that pertained to ways to counter the Abyss.  So while Paimon flitted in and out of Mavuika’s office with any scrolls and records that made useful mentions, Mavuika and Aether skimmed and sorted them.  Several hours later, and here they were.  “Let’s take a break, it’s been a bit.”

“Sounds good.” Sitting down, Aether sighed as his weary body got some rest, the relief growing as he accepted a glass of cold water from Mavuika.

After a few moments of lounging, Mavuika looked to Aether, the beginning of a conversation visible on her face.  “Say, Traveler, how long have you known that boy from Mondstadt for?”

“Bennett?” Aether paused to think.  It had been...“About five years or so?  I met him not too long after I first arrived in Mondstadt, which was the first nation I explored after meeting Paimon.  Why?”

“Well, I was curious about him.” Mavuika paused for a moment, looking at the empty fire pit in the center of the room.  It was devoid of flame, and instead filled with white ash.  She briefly thought that the color reminded her of Bennett's hair.  “He was with all of you when Mualani awoke her Ancient Name, right?” Aether nodded.  “I thought it was a bit odd that he didn’t say anything about that.”

“Ah, well,” Aether replied with a wave of his hand.  “He’s been through a lot, so I guess he’s just learned not to question a ton of stuff.”

“Rough life?” Mavuika prodded with a touch of sadness in her gaze.

“More like life itself is rough to him.  I don’t know if he mentioned it, but he’s got really bad luck.  Some people even wonder if he’s cursed.”

“How so?”

“One time when I was with him, he said the weather was nice for gliding, only for a storm to appear right after,” Aether recalled with a chuckle.  As much trouble as his bad luck gave them, Aether couldn’t find himself feeling any particular regret hanging around Bennett.  “Another time, me, him, and some others got trapped in a domain for hours, and while trying to cook, Bennett ended up poisoning himself.”

“Yeesh.  I guess being dropped into the Night Kingdom was just more of it to him then?”

“Probably, yeah.  Still, he somehow manages to smile and laugh all the time.  It’s pretty admirable.”

Mavuika smiled.  Finding joy in spite of life’s woes?  That was definitely something she knew all too well.  “Sounds like a great kid.  I’ll have to talk to him if I see him again.” She then paused.  “I was also asking because I wanted to know if he’s trustworthy.”

“Trustworthy?”

“He saw Mualani awakening Tupac’s memories, right?” Aether nodded.  “Then I was wondering if he could also be trusted with the plan.  He’s already seen that much, and he’s a Vision holder too, and a pretty strong one I bet.  If he managed to hold his own against the Abyss in the Night Kingdom until you happened to find him, then I’d like to have him with us.” Mavuika paused, only to see an odd look on Aether’s face.  Slight panic rising within her, Mavuika quickly added, “O-Of course, I’d like to talk to him about it first.  It’s just, we only need two more heroes to awaken.  But the Abyss knows that too; they’ll probably attack in the near future so they can make sure that doesn’t happen first.” Mavuika clenched her first.  “Of course, that means more people will get hurt, or die.  Any help we can get is something we need.”

“Hmm, well, you’ll have to talk to Bennett then.  He’s a good guy, he’s not the kind to leave people when they need help, bad luck or not.”

“I see.  Thanks for hearing me out, Traveler.” Mavuika leaned back on her desk, muttering, “Note to self, find this kid and talk to him when I have the time.”

---

“Fischl seems...aggressive today.” Razor said quietly as Fischl finished off a Hilichurl with a nasty electro-powered kick to the head.  Even Razor, who fought aggressively and rarely holding back, thought it was a bit excessive.  Probably because the poor thing was in its death throes already due to the dozen or so arrows riddling its chest, making it look more like those spiky little animal things he had read about with Lisa one time.  Were they called Porkies...?

With an upturned flair of her nose, which sent her hair flying every which way, Fischl let out a loud, “Hmph!” She took a deep breath, and internally, Razor braced himself to try and decipher her monologues.  

Benny...Benny helps with this... At least Oz was always translating.

“I am merely venting my frustrations in a way that’s productive to our current mission,” she declared loudly.  “The Champion of Wolves need not worry about the Prinzessin!”

Oz turned from Fischl to Razor, helpfully adding, “She’s just feeling frustrated.  Don’t worry about her, Razor.”

“Why...frustrated?” Razor hoisted his claymore over his shoulder, before turning to his left.  “Bennett, what do-” Oh, right.  Bennett wasn’t there.  Out of the corner of his eye, Razor saw Fischl visibly wilt like a flower, and an idea popped into his head.  “Is it...Bennett?  That’s why...frustrated?”

Fischl turned pink, sputtering as Oz just seemed to give a comforting look.  “W-Well t-that’s-!” She turned away, kicking the dirt before snapping back around to Razor, still red in the face.  “F-Fine.  The Prinzessin is concerned for his safety in another land.  And further frustrated, knowing she cannot pursue, not without leaving her duties behind...”

Razor tipped his head.  “But Benny is strong?  He’ll be okay.”

“S-Still, I can’t help it!” she squeaked, her persona slipping.  “What if it’s something else!?  L-Like, what if some Natlanese wench seduces him and he decides to never come home!?”

“Mein Fräulein, please, your language!” Oz gasped.

Fischl grumbled, pacing around and yanking on her pigtails.  Oz and Razor shared a glance amidst the oddness of the current situation, before telepathically agreeing (not literally) to at least try to comfort her.  “Don’t think...Bennett would do,” Razor said softly, mulling over each short phrase.  “After all, Benny is Fischl’s...um, Fischl’s ‘kon-sart?’”

“Consort,” Oz helpfully added, sending Fischl into blushing despair.  “Mein Fräulein, you’ve seen yourself over the years that sir Bennett has a noble spirit.  Heroic, even.  I wouldn’t worry about him, even if he may be gone for some time.”

Fischl huffed, pouting.  “Fine.  I concede.  But if he does not return in good time, I will rain down my divine judgment on him and drag him home myself!”

“My, how shocking.” Oz chuckled.

Razor put a finger to his mouth for a moment, pondering, before adding, “Love is very...electric?”

“Huh?”

“I heard teacher Lisa say once...‘electric love.’  Love between Fischl and Bennett...very electric.  Electric love.”

Oz and Fischl sat still, stupefied. “W-Was that supposed to be a joke?” Fischl stammered out after a good few moments of quiet.

“Yes?” Razor replied innocently.  “I heard...jokes are good...make things less awkward.  Especially if serious.” Then, he drooped.  “It was not good?”

Fischl and Oz looked at one another, then back at Razor.  Then, finally, Fischl laughed a little.  “T’was a decent attempt at humor.  My thanks for trying to lighten the mood.”

“I concur.” Oz added.

Huffing herself up, Fischl promptly spun on her heel, pointing dramatically in some direction.  “The Prinzessin feels lightened after letting out her feelings.  Come, Champion Razor!  Adventure still awaits!”

The smile on Fischl’s face made Razor feel warm inside, like the way Bennett made them all feel warm inside.  So as the three of them continued their adventure of the day, Razor hoped in his heart that Bennett was doing okay, and yearned all the more that he would return to them.  That he would return home.  Deep in his heart, Razor knew he would someday.

Chapter Text

“Kinich, I’m okay now, you can stop!” Mualani giggled as Kinich continued to fuss over her, dabbing more ointment onto her skin where it suffered the worst from Vaporize.  “Really!”

“I’m just worried, that’s all...I didn’t think the Hunter-Seeker would’ve suddenly turned around like that...”

“Well, I’m okay now, don’t worry about me too much.”

Watching from the side, squatting around the campfire, Bennett and Kachina shared a little giggle.  “They’re close.” Bennett mumbled.  Almost like...

Kachina smirked.  “I know.  They’ve been together for a while now, even if Kinich doesn’t say it.”

“Ohh, like that , huh?” Bennett shared Kachina’s smirk before returning his attention to the fire.  A cast-iron pan they had packed sat above the flames, atop a stand of sturdy sticks they had scavenged.  A bit of oil and a cracked egg sizzled in the pan, which Bennett had fortunately found while looking around for sticks for the fire.  Skewers of pre-made meat and vegetables - the food Kachina’s mother had packed that morning - stood in a ring around the fire, darkening nicely.  Bennett prodded the egg every now and then, making sure it didn’t get too burned.  The whites bubbled, popped and jumped; combined with the scent of the cooking of Kachina’s mother, Bennett found his stomach growling, especially after the unplanned battle against the Hunter-Seeker.

Bennett gave the whites a few moments to darken, turning a semi-charred brown around the edges before he took the pan off of the fire, sitting it down on some stones to cool.  Looking up, he saw that the sky was starting to darken, before a memory from...a year or two ago?  A particular memory of cooking this dish popped into mind.  Bennett jumped back, covering his ears and bracing himself for a stroke of misfortune.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kachina giving him an odd look, before he decided to retreat.  “Oh, guess that’s not happening again.”

“What’s happening?”

“One time I was cooking a fried egg, it got struck by lightning.” Kachina’s expression of confusion turned incredulous.  “No, really!  It was just like, a tiny bolt that struck just the pan, it was weird.”

“Hmm, you say that, Bennett,” Kachina hummed as she turned the skewers to make sure they didn’t burn.  “But nothing super unlucky has really happened since we first met?  I mean, except for the fights we’ve got in, but that’s kind of expected in Natlan.”

Bennett scratched his head.  “You’re right...” Nothing really bad has happened since I got here, huh?  That’s... weird .

“Anyways,” Kachina continued, beckoning him back to the fire.  “The skewers are about done, come eat, everyone!”

Kachina’s mother’s cooking - Katsinam’s cooking - was delicious.  There were no other words Bennett could use to describe it as, it was simply delicious.

His fried eggs had turned out pretty good too.  Everyone tried some, a complementary extra dish to the already abundant skewers of fruit, vegetables, and meat.  Even Ajaw, the flying pest, tried a little bite of egg, and couldn't find anything to complain about in particular.  For a moment, Bennett wondered if Oz also demanded food from Fischl sometimes...Hm, he’d have to ask her about that when he returned to Mondstadt.

Tired from a day of travel, sparring, and an unexpected automaton ambush, and filled up with good food, it was natural everyone fell asleep not long after, laid out in sleeping bags in a circle around the dying fire.  As he drifted to sleep, Bennett thought on the day, and concluded that today was a good day.

---

He was on fire again.  As far as the eye could see, there was the sea of fire and lava again.  And like before, he was unscarred by the heat.  Not hot enough to burn him, but enough that inferno almost felt comforting.  When he looked down at his body, his body seemed to embrace the flames too.  Sparks and licks of stray flame, like those from when he used his empowered state, hung around him.  That figure was there too, standing atop the lava like it was solid ground.  He could see that it was a man, but not much else was visible from how far away the man was.  Bennett began to walk towards the man, feet trudging through lava.  He wasn’t sinking anymore, but moving through it was like stepping through thick mud or snow.

As Bennett tried to draw close, he thought he heard a voice whisper in the flaming winds.  “I’m sorry...”

You’re...sorry?  For what?

The voice began to speak again, but an all too real whimpering drew Bennett’s attention away as the sound of the crackling flames intensified.  As he began to feel himself be pulled out of the dream, he only made out a few words:

“...Weight...my ambition...”

---

Bennett’s eyes cracked open to the deep, starry sky.  He felt as tired as a log, getting torn from his dream so suddenly, but he rubbed his eyes and sat up anyways.  Everyone was still laying in a circle around the fire; Mualani and Kinich were cuddled up next to each other, while Kachina...

“Kachina?” Bennett murmured when he saw her thrashing around in her sleep.  “Kachina!” he whispered.  “What’s wrong?”

Now feeling a lot more awake, Bennett shimmied out of his sleeping bag and crawled over to Kachina, ignoring how his knees scraped against the dirt.  She tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, her brow creased and furrowed, and based on the sweat collecting on her face, even feverish?  Bennett reached out a hand, but as soon as he touched her shoulder, she flinched away, whimpering.  “N-No!  Stay back!”

Somewhat darkly, Bennett thought, guess that’s what woke me up...

“I can’t...” Kachina gasped, like she was struggling for air.  “I can’t die here...”

Bennett felt his heart twist.  He looked around; Mualani and Kinich were still sleeping soundly - the idea of waking them made a little stab of guilt appear, while Ajaw was nowhere to be seen - not that he likely would’ve been any help.

Bennett reached out again, but held back when Kachina flinched again.  Is she dreaming of the Abyss?  That makes sense... Bennett pondered.  The Pyro Archon really made the rescue possible at the end... A spark appeared in Bennett’s head.  Pyro...maybe that’ll help?   Gently, he called Pyro into his hand, his Vision glowing softly in the night.  He slowly lowered his hand toward Kachina’s head, the soft healing part of his Vision abilities just touching her skin.  Slowly, her expression softened.  Her brow unfurrowed, and her thrashing and shaking stopped.  Softly, Bennett laid his hand directly on her hand, and Kachina let out a sigh.  It felt like weary relief.

Bennett let out a sigh of his own.  Kachina’s breathing evened out, and soon, she looked as though she were sleeping soundly, like her nightmare hadn’t happened at all.  Slowly, he began to pull his hand away from her head, but she weakly grasped at it with another whimper.  “N-No...don’t leave...”

His heart promptly melted.  Leaning over to his sleeping bag, he dragged it over, bringing it up next to Kachina.  He wiggled back inside, laying next to her on his stomach, resting his head on his spare arm.  As he drifted back to sleep, he made sure to keep a hand on Kachina’s forehead, channeling Pyro for as long as he could.

---

Her eyes cracked open, and Kachina yawned as the warm Natlan sun beamed down into her eyes.  Despite her tiredness the night before, she felt pretty refreshed.  As she shifted in her sleeping bag, she heard a groan from next to her.  It was then she realized the hand resting on her forehead, lightly pulsing with Pyro in sync with its wielders breathing.  It was nice.  Still, in spite of its pleasantness, Kachina slowly reached up to take the hand off her forehead, turning to return it to its owner.  As she rolled over, she saw...“Bennett?”

He cracked open his eyes with a sleepy groan.  “Oh...morning.”

“Good morning, Bennett.” Kachina paused, putting his hand next to him.  “Why were you...?”

His eyes softened, turning down at the corners.  “You don’t remember?”

“...no?”

Bennett hummed, smiling again.  “That’s alright, then.  Are Mualani and Kinich awake?” he asked as he rose from his sleeping bag, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Kachina looked over at where the two of them were laying next to each other.  She had to stuff down a small laugh at the sight of sleeping Mualani sprawled over Kinich, who lay wide awake, perfectly still.  When their eyes met, he seemed to say, help me...

Giggling, Kachina slipped out of her bag, putting on her shoes and making sure her bag had everything in it.  “C’mon, let’s get ready!”

---

When Bennett asked where to, Mualani cheerfully replied that their plan to was to relax in the springs of the Meztli after their day of training.  And so, they set off, excitement bubbling in Bennett’s stomach.  It took a good bit of walking, but eventually, rough gravel and dirt gave way to softer, white sands, and the strong scent of salt carried in by the sea breeze hit Bennett’s nose full on.  While he already had the experience of seeing the settlement of the Nanatzcayan, he still felt at least a little bit nervous at the prospect of what the Meztli would be like.

But the People of the Springs settlement seemed so much more welcoming, even at first glance: the graceful arches and curves of the buildings gently cut through the horizon, and people milled about, seemingly off in their own little relaxed worlds.  Kachina and Kinich continued following Mualani, who had taken the lead, familiarity in their steps.  Bennett, who had paused to take in the scenery for a moment, jogged to catch up.

Turning around, Mualani flashed Bennett a wide smile, before throwing out her arms wide and proclaiming, “Welcome Bennett, to the home of the Meztli!” She spun back around and began to skip off into the settlement proper, making the three to pick up the pace.  “C’mon, I’ll show you around!”

The settlement of the Meztli, as it turned out, was incredible.  There always seemed to be a slightly festive vibe present in the air, soaking in the water and floating through the wind.  Really, the whole place felt like it was floating.  As Mualani guided them through the settlement, people called out to her in warm, cheery tones, and she returned the gestures with smiles and waves.

“Y’know, Bennett,” Mualani begun.  “You’re lucky our original plans already has our best attraction in mind.”

“And what’s that?”

Spinning around, she threw her arms out wide, gesturing wildly at the many steaming pools of water scattered about.  “Hot springs!  Everyone from all over Teyvat comes here for them.  And for people who are done training like us, they’re great for easing all of those sore muscles and aches!”

“Really?” Bennett looked around again; maybe that was why everyone seemed so relaxed.  “I think Aether and Paimon mentioned that, actually...”

“Don’t just take my and their word for it, you’ll get to try it out real soon!” Pirouetting, she began to eagerly lead them all to some small huts that were a bit farther away, but not far from the hot springs themselves.  “C’mon, I’ll show you over to the changing room, then we can get started!”

Mualani quickly herded Bennett, Kinich, and Kachina over to some changing huts, each split into separate stalls inside, with lock boxes for belongings.  Bennett placed his knapsack on the floor of the changing stall - after making sure it was locked, of course - before yanking his shirt over his head.  His goggles, pants, gloves, socks and boots, and after a bit of hesitating, his underwear too, all followed in close succession.  

Then, he pulled out the swimwear Mualani had chosen.  She had scanned him up and down for a moment, prompting his face to turn a bit red, before promptly running off and returning in about a minute with a small stack of clothing for them all.  For Bennett, it seemed like she had picked out a pair of beige swim trunks patterned with red and blue zigzags, running along where the legs cut off - the same kind of colors he usually wore.  Looking in a mirror, Bennett hummed.  While he was definitely no beefcake like Diluc or Kaeya, or hell, even Varka, he definitely had built up some lean muscle over the years.  All the more prominent, of course, were the scars patterned across his body like freckles.  Still, it wasn’t exactly his body image he was worried about...rather, Bennett thought, When was the last time someone saw me naked?

He hummed for a moment, his mind wandering back to Mondstadt.  Razor, the two of them had bathed together in lakes and rivers a few times, and Fischl...Bennett felt his face warm and a slight southward rush, before shaking his head, dispelling the images in his head.  They were intimate, enough said.

Gathering his clothes and his bag, Bennett stepped out of the stall, placing them all in a lock box before stepping out of the hut, putting the complimentary towel Mualani had included over his shoulder.  “Hey, looking good, Bennett!” Mualani called out as she stepped out of the girl’s changing room.  Her swimsuit wasn’t too different from the one she seemed to wear all the time, but it was different nonetheless.

Bennett turned a bit pink, glancing away and scratching his head.  “Hehe, thanks...”

Behind Mualani, Kachina sheepishly stepped out, wearing a patterned one-piece in colors similar to what her usual outfit composed of.  Sensing someone stepping out behind him, Bennett turned to see Kinich walk out as well, wearing dark swim trunks, matching the dark greens and blacks of his usual clothes.  Ajaw, meanwhile, hovered behind him with a little pixelated towel wrapped around his bottom half.

Quietly, Kinich offered him a simple thumbs up, before Mualani pulled away their attention again, excitedly waving a towel.  “C’mon, let’s get in the water!”

Mualani watched with a giggle as Bennett seemed to simply melt in the hot water.  He sunk down till the water was up to his breast, a look of relaxed bliss on his face.  “Ah, you guys were right, this is great...”

Mualani smiled in earnest.  “Told ya!  Now you know why people love this place so much.”  Kinich, Ajaw, and Kachina, too, were deeply enjoying themselves in the relaxing waters of the Meztli.

“Mualani!” a stern but kind voice called out from above them on the boardwalk.  “I see you’ve returned with your friends.”  Then, the approaching woman turned to look at Bennett, who seemed somewhat oblivious to her presence in his relaxed bliss.  “And who’s this?”

“Oh, Auntie Atea!” Wading over to Bennett, Mualani poked him out of his stupor, drawing his attention to the older woman, who now had her hands on her hips.  “This is Bennett, a friend of the Traveler.  We met him while bringing Kachina back from the Night Kingdom.”

“Really now?” Atea said, bringing her arms to cross them.  “What tribe are you from?  Nanatzcayan?  Teteocan?”

“Oh, uh, he’s from-”

“I-I’m from Mondstadt, actually,” Bennett blurted.  “Uh, ma’am?”

Atea narrowed her eyes for a moment, craning forward slightly, before she threw her head back in a gut laugh.  “Hahaha, ‘ma’am?’  You don’t need to call me that, I’m not that old.” Slipping down, she sat on the boardwalk, allowing her legs to dangle just above the water.  “I’m Atea.  People used to call me ‘Candlekeeper’ in my heyday, but, well, that’s long past now.”

“Auntie, is it okay for you to be out like this-?” Mualani began to ask.

Atea gave Mualani a small smile of reassurance.  “Don’t worry.  I’m not going to drop dead just yet, not as long as I’ve got some life in me.  You can count on that, Mualani.”

Bennett watched as Mualani frowned slightly, along with Kinich and Kachina, whose mood seemed to take a downturn due to some knowledge he wasn’t privy to.  But, Mualani perked up again in no time, smiling as she extended an offer to Atea.  “Wanna join us for a bit?”

“I’d love to,” Atea replied, as she took off her boots and slipped into the water next to them, sinking into its warmth.  “That’s the stuff...I’ll miss it.” The relaxed mood of before returned, but not without a hint of somberness.  Bennett jumped out of his pondering on why things seemed somber when Atea returned her attention to him.  “So, Bennett, right?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s me,” he replied automatically.  “Nice to meet you?”

“And to you.  I was actually a bit surprised when you said you were from Mondstadt, I was so sure you were just another Natlanese kid hanging around the Springs.” Atea paused to chuckle a little bit, studying his appearance a bit closer.  “Honestly, if you hadn’t said you weren’t, I would’ve thought Iansan secretly had a brother or something.  You two look a lot alike.”

Bennett involuntarily exhaled in amusement as Mualani and Kachina let out a fit of giggles.  “That’s the third time someone’s said that to me, I think...” he murmured.  Glancing over at Kinich, he saw that the man had a small smirk, while Ajaw was still busy floating in his own little world.  Clearing his throat, Bennett decided to say the first thing that came to mind to get the conversation flowing again.  “So, uh, Miss Atea, what do you do around here?  It’s my first time here in Natlan.”

“Oh, you know, the kind of things a retired warrior can do,” hummed Atea.  “Making sure kids don’t get in trouble, watching out for the tribe, organizing artificial springs so foreigners don’t burn themselves...making sure foreigners don’t overheat and drown, that stuff.” Looking at the group, Atea then pointedly looked at Mualani, probing, “Speaking of which, did you remember what I said about letting foreigners bathe in the natural springs before they try the artificial ones first?”

Mualani pouted.  “‘Make sure they try the artificial springs so they don’t overheat in the natural springs’, I know, I know.  I think Bennett here can more than handle it, he’s practically a walking fireball already.”

“Hey, I made sure the Traveler was no exception, and he’s already done a lot of crazy stuff, no?”

“Uh, if it helps,” Kachina piped up.  “Bennett seems to burn himself a lot already?”

At that, Bennett looked at his hands; they were still red from the massive Pyro blast he had used against the Hunter-Seeker drone, but with the help of some ointment and his own concentrated healing, the skin had patched itself up, no longer marred by blisters and welts.  Still a bit sensitive, though.  “Geez kid, how did that happen?” Atea murmured with concern.

Kinich answered this time.  “A Hunter-Seeker drone got unearthed while we were training.  Bennett let off a massive blast of Pyro to disable it, although it seems like he’s not 100% immune to his own power.”

“You have a Pyro Vision?” Atea said.  Reaching behind himself to a little spot in the sand, Bennett pulled out his Pyro Vision, light reflecting off of the red gem and its golden Mondstadtian casing.  “Hah, me too.” From below the water, Atea unclipped the Natlanese Pyro Vision that usually hung at her hip, holding it up across from Bennett.  “Nice to see a fellow Pyro Vision user out in the wild.”

Bennett gave her a small smile, mirroring the one Mualani herself had.  “Hehe, yeah, I guess so.”

After that, everyone began to relax again, simply sinking into the comforting warmth of the hot spring, this time with the addition of Auntie Atea.  However, after what only felt like a few minutes, Atea suddenly shot up, a glint of an idea in her eyes.

“Hey kiddo,” Atea exclaimed excitedly as she suddenly put a hand on Bennett’s shoulder.  “Wanna find out how I got the name ‘Candlekeeper?’”

Several moments passed by in silence, before everyone (save Atea herself) collectively said, “Huh?”

Chapter Text

“Auntie Atea are you sure you want to do this?  I mean, you...” Mualani trailed off as she followed Atea, who was busy strapping on gauntlets and leg guards, which Mualani recognized as the ones Atea often wore into battle.  Rather than using a weapon, Atea seemed to instead opt for bashing in the faces of her enemies by hand, throwing kicks and punches that Mualani had personally witnessed take down more than a couple of Abyssal monsters throughout her life alongside the older woman.  In that sense, Atea’s body was her weapon.

“Yeah, I’m sure.  It’s been a long while since I’ve had a good brawl, after all.” Atea replied, an excited grin on her face.  “Besides, this kid sounds strong, I’d like to see what he’s got!”

Mualani frowned, and not in any way that was unserious.  “Auntie Atea...”

Atea paused, tightening the last strap on her gear.  She stopped for a moment, a distant look on her face, before she reached out and placed a hand on Mualani’s shoulder.  “I’m sure, Mualani.  Didn’t I tell you?  I’ve made peace with my death a while back.  One last fight at the end couldn’t hurt, right?” 

Atea’s hand moved up onto Mualani’s head, ruffling her hair thoroughly while she whined, “Auntieeeee...” The little smile on her face was enough for Atea to see that her words worked.

Smiling, Atea turned and began walking, Mualani following at her side.  “C’mon, let’s not keep your friend waiting.  I’m eager to see what he’s got if he’s hanging with you all already.”

Dressed back in his usual clothes, Bennett paced around in circles, eyes glued to the wood of the sparring stage.  It was a bit out of the way of the usual areas of leisure and fun of the Meztli settlement, but that didn’t stop it from still being in more or less full view.  A few Meztli tribespeople were beginning to gather around, whispering and murmuring to each other and visitors to the tribe alike.  Glancing at the growing audience, Bennett recognized the earthly tones of the Nanatzcayan, and what he was beginning to recognize as the oceanic blues of the Meztli.  There were a few other notable color groups, like floral greens, some lighter, more mysterious blues, and some stark purples with cut-outs for showing off muscles.  As he returned to pacing, waiting for his surprise sparring opponent, he spotted a pair of glasses worn by a figure in what must’ve been Inazuman clothing.  But when he looked back up to see them better, they were gone, a gap in the crowd where a person should’ve fit.

“I hope I wasn’t keeping you waiting too long,” a voice called out to the ashen-haired youth.  Atea had arrived, trailed by Mualani and a few other Meztli folk, no doubt wondering what was all the buzz.  Kachina, Kinich, and - ugh, Ajaw, were following as well.  “Need a moment to warm up?”

Bennett began to turn his head left to right, before looking behind Atea and seeing Kinich’s face.  Something in it was expectant, and that made Bennett change his gesture from a shake of his head to a nod halfway through.  “Yeah, that sounds good, actually.” Bennett kicked up his legs, doing his best to touch his toes, before shaking them out and pulling out his arms, stretching them out.  As he did so, he stole a few glances at Atea, who seemed to be adjusting the straps on her gauntlets and guards.  Those look tough...maybe she fights up close?   They were definitely more than just defensive; the fact that the gauntlets were studded with obsidian on the knuckles were pretty telling of how she fought.

“Are you ready?” Atea called out.

“Just about!” Bennett replied.  “What are the rules?”

Atea gave Bennett a small smile.  “Loser is the first to yield or get knocked out.  Other than that, not much.  People in Natlan usually know how and when to hold back, but don’t let that be an excuse.  Show me what you’ve got!” It seemed like a fire had been lit inside Atea at the idea of a good fight.  Her smile turned into a wider grin as she punched her hand, cracking a crick in her neck as well.

Bennett summoned his sword with a twirl, moving into his usual combat stance.  “Yes ma’am!”

Atea let out a laugh, saying, “I thought I told you to drop the ‘ma’am!’” before lunging forward, Pyro brimming on her fists.

“Mualani?  What’s going on here?” A voice piped up from below Mualani’s shoulder.

Turning around, the shark surfer looked down to see a familiar face.  “Oh, Chief Amina!  Well-”

“Is that Auntie Atea?  And who’s that she’s fighting with?” Amina interrogated as she pushed through the small crowd, who were now cheering in earnest.  Down on the sparring platform, Atea and Bennett were in the full flow of a fight.  As expected of the legendary Candlekeeper, Atea was doing a fine job of dodging Bennett’s sword, stepping just out of his slashes and deflecting thrusts with the obsidian knuckles of her gauntlets.  It was as though she wasn’t dying of Abyssal corruption at all.

“Oh, that’s Bennett!” Kachina answered.  “He came back with us when everyone came to rescue me from the Night Kingdom.  He was trapped down there too, so we brought him back with us.”

Amina’s brows furrowed together in confusion.  “He was stuck down there too?  How did that even happen?”

“Honestly, if what the Traveler said at Kachina’s party was true, bad luck is just a regular occurrence for him,” Kinich replied with an amused mutter.  “He seems used to it, though.” At that moment, the crowd let out a whoop as Atea threw a heavy punch, which Bennett was forced to block with the flat of his blade, braced against his other arm.  The Pyro infused blow threw him backwards and knocked the sword out of his hands, before a front push kick to the chest from Atea sent him to the ground.  Atea quickly moved in to strike while he was down, but Bennett suddenly spun on his back, Pyro bursting from his feet as he performed a spin, one hand braced on the ground as he brought himself back to standing.  Kachina delightedly gasped in recognition at the very familiar move.

Atea hopped back from the rising attack, she and Bennett both taking a deep breath as they stared each other down.  She grinned, sweat beginning to drip down her face.  “That looked familiar.  Did Kachina teach you that?”

Bennett returned the gesture, swiping his nose.  “Yeah, she did.” He briefly glanced back to look at his sword, which lay on the wood.  Okay, think...she’s really strong up close, and she’s too fast for the sword.  She just blocks and deflects everything.   Edging back over to his sword, Bennett slipped his foot near it, before kicking it back up into his hand, before saying a slight apology in his head as he let it disappear back into his pocket space.  He drew his fists up with his legs apart, settling into a stance halfway between what he was familiar with and what Kachina had showed him.

Then, he paused for a moment, drawing Pyro energy into his body.  More and more to light the fire within, until with one final burst, it overflowed, small sparks and flames firing from his body as he activated his pseudo Nightsoul state.  Atea raised a curious eyebrow, before smirking as she rushed in again.  The crowd murmured with excitement as the youth began to move faster than he had before.  With the power of Pyro coursing through his body, he was able to keep pace with Atea, matching her strikes with punches and kicks of his own, forcing the veteran warrior to begin defending herself a bit more.

The crowd murmured and chattered with excitement as the Mondstadtian youth gradually begin to get an edge in on Atea, whose face began to break out into a grin.  Then, the murmuring turned into a full on cheer in one moment: Atea rushed forward, taking advantage of a slight gap in Bennett’s stance to throw him off balance with a shove before pushing on him with an open palm, which began to send Bennett towards the ground.  However, in the single moment between being pushed and being sent down, Bennett’s arms shot forward, hooking themselves around Atea’s still outstretched arm.  As he fell backwards, he fired Pyro out of his feet, catching Atea behind the torso with his legs as he flipped around, sending them both crashing to the ground together, but with himself on top.

“Damn, did you see that!?  This kid’s got moves!” Someone in the crowd yelled.  All of a sudden, the crowd seemed to encompass a good chunk of the tribe, because their cheers were tumultuous.  Shouts of, “Go get ‘em Atea!” were mixing in with encouraging cheers of, “You got this kid!”

Bennett jumped back as Atea spun around, dodging a Pyro infused leg sweep as she recovered.  As the two circled each other, fire in their eyes, Bennett began to notice something.  Atea sweating was expected, but looking closer, it looked like she was...trembling?  And her breathing was getting heavier as the fight wore on, too.  But whatever was starting to afflict her, Atea didn’t seem to care, because grinned, before doing a ‘come hither’ with an open hand.

Clenching his fist, Bennett decided he’d take her offer.  Time to end this .  Pyro flowing through him, Bennett began to rush forward, a plan just about half-formed in his mind.  As he did so, out of the corner, he spotted the trio: Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich, the former two cheering while the latter gave his stoic support.  At the sight of the Saurian Hunter, an idea came to mind.  Pulling his sword hand back underneath his left armpit, he called upon his sword from within its space inside his Vision’s small pocket space.  Channeling a bit of Pyro into it to hopefully make it fly better, he flung it at Atea, the blade flashing in the air as it flew as an improvised projectile.

As expected, Atea raised a hand to bat it aside.  In that brief moment of her guard being lowered, Bennett closed the distance, now within arms reach of her.  Atea threw out a punch at him with her left, and that was when he struck.  The punch she had thrown wasn’t very focused, since she had to divert some attention to the sword throw; with that in mind, Bennett was able to easily duck underneath her strike, before he threw out a Pyro infused haymaker, hoping he was aiming for a good spot.

The crowd had gotten pretty excited when just about everyone could sense the fight coming to its climactic end, but when it actually came, everyone went silent in shock.  Even Bennett, who had landed the decisive blow, was shocked frozen for a moment.  Everyone watched as Bennett had dashed towards Atea, Pyro flowing through his body, throwing his sword as a distraction, before dodging Atea’s quick punch, then hitting her up close with his own.  What everyone - Bennett included - didn’t seem to quite anticipate, was just how hard he actually ended up punching her in the stomach.  The air itself cracked harshly like a gunshot as Bennett’s Pyro infused punch hit Atea in the stomach full on, the force striking her so hard she was knocked clean off of her feet before sending her sprawling onto the ground a few meters from him.

For several moments, everything seemed to stand still.  Those in the audience looked on with shock and awe.  Kinich winced, Mualani had about a half-look of genuine horror, and Kachina held a hand over her open mouth, half impressed and half stunned.  Bennett himself was standing still as well, his right fist sizzling as his empowered state wore off, Pyro dissipating like steam.  Atea, meanwhile, didn’t stir.

Another solid moment passed, and there was little movement from Atea.  Then, the silence broke, and everything went a bit crazy.  Bennett could barely make out shouts of both shock, awe, and calls to get a healer from the general noise of the crowd, while he himself quickly knelt down next to the older woman, holding his ear to her mouth.  Despite the din of the crowd, he could still hear and feel a bit of air moving in and out, and her chest every so slightly rose and fell.

“Oh, thank Barbatos, she’s just unconscious...” Bennett stopped for a moment.  Wait, crap, she’s unconscious.   Out of either a healer’s instinct or just some desire to make himself feel a bit better, Bennett began channeling Pyro into his palms, holding them together over her stomach where a bruise was starting to form from his punch.

“Auntie Atea!” Mualani wailed as she suddenly appeared next to Atea as well.  The guide did the same as Bennett had just before, listening close to check that Atea was breathing.  When that was done, Mualani turned to Bennett, and began promptly hitting him around the shoulders.  “What the heck was that, are you trying to kill her!?”

“Wah!  I-I don’t know-!  I didn’t think I was using that much strength!” Bennett yelped.  Thankfully, Mualani’s punches weren’t that strong, so it was really more comical than serious.

Unnoticed by the others, Atea slowly began to stir, clenching her hands and cracking her eyes open.  Then, just as Kinich was beginning to sneak in a, “Hey, I think she’s awake-” Atea suddenly shot up, throwing off Bennett’s balance while Mualani cried out, “Auntie Atea!  Are you okay?”

The four younger warriors watched Atea held a hand over the scar on her stomach, a distant look on her face.  Her breathing had evened out, and other than the stare, she seemed quite at peace.  From under her breath, they thought they heard her mumble, “...doesn’t hurt anymore...” before her voice just got a bit louder.  “It doesn’t hurt anymore...”

“Huh?  What doesn’t hurt anymore?” Mualani asked as she continued to scan her for injuries.  Thankfully, Bennett’s Pyro healing reduced the bruise on her stomach to a tiny, light dot.  “Atea, what doesn’t hurt?” She asked again, a bit more urgently.

Atea slowly shook herself out of her daze, before turning to smile at Mualani.  “Are you-?”

“I’m okay, Mualani.  In fact,” she said as sprang to her feet, pulling up Bennett and Mualani along the way.  “I feel great!”

The four - Kinich, Kachina, Mualani, and Bennett - all stared at Atea as she began to walk off, loudly proclaiming, “Let’s go get some drinks, it’s on me!”

---

And that was how Bennett found himself at his second party since arriving in Natlan.  After a toast to an exhilarating fight led by Atea, who was still in weirdly high spirits, everyone began chowing down on the surf and turf style selection that had been ordered over to the table.  Then the crowd that had been watching the spar had caught up, and that was a good excuse as any to expand the scope of the party.

Bennett laughed as Kinich went nose first into his flagon thanks to a slap on the back of the head from Ajaw.  The little Dragonlord then promptly skittered off cackling after Kinich attempted to retaliate with a swipe.  Things were kind of moving by in a blur, probably due to the lingering buzz of adrenaline and the amount of alcohol he was starting to drink.  At one point, Bennett vaguely remembered Atea saying that he, “Hit like Mavuika!” while slapping him heartily on the back.  A good number of people gave him those in fact, saying, “Congratulations,” and “That was amazing!” to which each time he simply smiled, finding it the most appropriate reaction.

It was nice, being complimented by strangers for his strength and skill and not remembered for his misfortune...it was a bit unfamiliar, but a welcome kind of unfamiliar.  It was nice.

Eventually, Bennett found himself sitting alone with Kachina, who was sipping on a cup of some sort of juice called Aguas fresca, made from guava.  He himself was nursing a cocktail made with a native alcohol called...“tequila”, Atea called it?  It burned to drink straight, too much even for someone raised in Mondstadt, the wine capital of Teyvat, but mixed together with some sweet stuff, it was great.  Bennett was halfway to taking another sip when Kachina spoke up, looking pensive.  “Bennett?”

“Hm?  Yeah, what’s up?” Bennett put down his cup, somewhat lamenting the chance to take another sip of his cocktail.

“When you had your hand on my head this morning...it was because I was having a nightmare, wasn’t I?”

Bennett paused.  Then murmured, “I thought you didn’t remember?”

Kachina shook her head.  “Not at first.  But after I saw you heal Miss Atea, I remembered my nightmare, and this morning...I only just realized you must have done something to help.” Kachina paused to give Bennett a smile, with a hint of weariness in her eyes.  Then, with a deep breath, she continued.  “In my dream, I was back in the Night Kingdom again,” she said quietly, eyes downcast in remembrance.  “I was getting chased by monsters all over again, but then...”

“Then?”

Kachina took a sip of her juice.  “Then there was this big bird made of fire.  I’m not sure how else to describe it.  It appeared like the sun, and all of a sudden, I knew everything was going to be okay,” Kachina spoke softly.  “It flew down to me, and for a second, I thought I was going to get burned, but when I touched it, it was warm .  And then I fell asleep again, while it watched me...” Kachina trailed off as she stared into her juice, a small smile adorning her face.  “After I saw how you healed Miss Atea, I realized it must’ve been you ,” said Kachina with a warm, pointed look that made Bennett feel warmth bloom in his heart.  “So... thank you .”

For one of the few times he could remember, Bennett didn’t know what to say.  What he did know, though, was the burgeoning sense of protectiveness he was starting to feel for Kachina.  No wonder Kinich and Mualani treated her like a little sister.  At the thought of little siblings, a memory of a certain cavalry captain patting and rubbing his head came to mind.  And so, with the kind of smile he usually reserved for his loved ones, he reached out and pat Kachina on the head, eliciting a little whine as he rubbed her hair between where her large ears stuck up.  “It’s no problem, Kachina,” Bennett murmured.  “No problem at all.”

Kachina pouted a little at the treatment.  After a few moments of head patting, she stood up, cup in hand.  “I-I’m gonna go get more juice-!” Then, she ran off before Bennett could offer to go with.

Bennett smiled with a sigh, before bringing his glass to his lips...only to be met only by ice.  “Huh?” Bennett looked at his glass; it was empty, only ice cubes left over.  “Oh...I drank all of it.” Alcohol still making his head buzz, Bennett stumbled to his feet, before trudging over to the bar, where nobody was hanging around.  Not even the bartender was around, sadly.  Sinking into one of the wooden stools, it took Bennett a moment to register the sudden presence of someone to his left.  “Oh, hey!  You here for the party?”

The stranger returned Bennett’s smile.  “In a sense.” The man suddenly leaned closer to Bennett, which he paid no mind.  Probably due to the glasses of cocktails.  “Say, you’re that boy from Mondstadt, aren’t you?  The one who fought and defeated the legendary ‘Candlekeeper’ Atea just a little while ago, right?”

“Ah, yeah, that’s me!  Bennett, leader of Benny’s Adventure Team!” the young man replied.  “How about you?  What’s your name?”

The man seemed surprised for a moment.  “Me?” he looked away towards the sea for a moment.  “You can call me ‘Umi.’  Haha, how fitting that we’re by the sea here at the Meztli.  ‘Umi’ is Inazuman for ocean!”

“Oh, really?” Bennett replied with a bit of a slur in his voice.  The cocktails were really starting to catch up.  “You’re from Inazuma?”

‘Umi’ nodded.  “In a sense.  I’m here in Natlan for tourism, but I’m also doing some research into some local specialties that have caught my eye.” The man certainly looked Inazuman; he had dark blue, almost black hair that framed a bespectacled face with two large bangs on each side that reached his chin.  His grey kimono, laced with red near the edges of the chest, were a pretty far cry from the casual, open clothing of the Meztli.  His bright, yellowish eyes gleamed in the night as he continued speaking.  “I must say, surfing is quite fascinating here, especially the unique style used by the Meztli’s beloved ‘Umoja.’”

“Ah, you mean Mualani?  Yeah, she’s a great friend!” Bennett brought the glass to his lips, deciding that trickles of cold water were better than nothing.

“That’s right,” Umi said with a nod and a disarming smile.  “My, there are just so many interesting people in Natlan!  And of course, her good friends, ‘Uthabiti’ Kachina and ‘Malipo’ Kinich are of note as well,” the Inazuman man gushed.  “But then there’s you as well!”

“M-Me?”

“Why not?  From what I’ve heard, before she was forced to retire due to a debilitating stomach injury from Abyssal monsters, she was a legendary warrior.  From what I’ve seen tonight, it seems as though the injury isn’t holding her down at all.” At that, the two of them together looked over at where Atea was.  She stood in the midst of her fellow veteran warriors and tribespeople, toasting with a loud cheer of “Salud!” before she promptly chugged her mug to the delighted cheers of her friends, including Mualani, who seemed to have completely forgotten about whatever it was that was worrying her before.  

“The fact that you landed such a blow on her tells quite a bit about your own skill,” the Inazuman tourist complimented.  “Tell me, where are you from?”

“Oh, Mondstadt!” Bennett replied instinctively.

That got a raised eyebrow from Umi...for some reason.  “Oh?  And here I thought you were a rising star among Natlan’s youth!”

“A-Ah, no, I’m from Mondstadt...or at least, I was raised there.  I was brought there by an adventurer when I was a baby, so I’m kind of an orphan.  The guy who brought me, well, according to my dads, he died not long after he made it home, so, I don’t even know where I was really born, haha...” Bennett’s laugh at the end felt a bit drunkenly forced, but with so much alcohol in his system, he didn’t really think about it much.

“Oh.  I’m sorry to hear that, truly.” Umi’s eyes softened.  “If you’ve ever tried to look into it, then I understand the feeling.”

“Really?” the ashen-haired youth mumbled.

“Yes, that sense of futility.  One of the local specialties I’m looking into here in Natlan is the Mare Jivari, the famous windless waste of ash.  So far, I’ve only turned up a handful of stories, usually about how the warrior Tenoch and his companions saved Natlan 500 years ago during The Cataclysm.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find out much about where it currently is, or how to get there.”

The Mare Jivari?  Bennett about knew the Mare Jivari.  It was the famous sea of ashes where the wind didn’t blow, filled with a sea of fire.  It was said that if you died there, Barbatos wouldn’t be able to ferry your soul on the winds into the afterlife.  A truly unfortunate fate, then, to be abandoned by the world itself.  “Oh...that sucks,” he slurred out.  “Y’know, I’d like to find it, someday.  Then I can be remembered as a great adventurer!”

Umi smiled at Bennett’s declaration.  “Ah, youth.  To push forward regardless of life’s woes, is that not what it means to be human?” Reaching into his kimono, he withdrew a bottle with an odd animal shaped cork topper, filled with sloshy purple liquid.  “Say, why don’t we drink to that?  To your adventures, and to my research?”

Before Bennett could even say yes, Umi reached over the counter and retrieved two shot glasses.  With a pop, he yanked off the cork and topped off both their glasses, one of which he pushed into Bennett’s hand.  Bennett swirled it a little, and a brief wave under his nose brought a strong whiff of a smokey, floral scent.  “Haha, sure, I’ll drink to that!” he said with a cheer.

Reciprocating his smile, Umi raised his glass, saying, “In Inazuma, we say ‘kanpai!’ when toasting.  To your adventures, my friend!”

“And to your research!” Bennett cheered, before he promptly knocked back the drink in one smooth go.  He never got to see if Umi had done so too.

Umi watched as the glass slipped from Bennett’s fingers as a deep shudder ran through his body.  He watched as the young man’s eyes glazed over, his breath slowing with his mouth hanging open.  “W-what’s-” the boy’s attempt to stand failed as he promptly fell forward into Umi’s arms.

“Whoa there!” the Inazuman exclaimed at the sudden weight in his arms.  He pushed him back into the stool, seating him down firmly.  “I think you’ve had a bit much to drink tonight, hmm?”

“Hey, uh, is he okay?” A voice suddenly asked from behind.  Umi turned to see it was just a Meztli tribesman - ah, the bartender too - who no doubt watched Bennett stumble.  “He doesn’t look too good.”

“Ah, it’s nothing to worry about, my friend here has just had a bit too much to drink, is all.  Say, will he alright if I leave him here?” The man nodded.  “Great!  Well now, Bennett, I’m afraid I’ve got some business to attend to.  I’m sure if you stay seated and don’t wander off towards the bright lights, you’ll be fine!” With that, the thing masquerading as a man named ‘Umi’ turned around and walked away.  “Until next time!”

Soon, he disappeared into the crowd, slipping away as though he were never there in the first place.

---

“Hey, um, Auntie Atea?”

“What’s up, Mualani?”

Mualani glanced between Atea’s stomach and Atea’s face for a moment, before posing her question.  “When you got up after Bennett healed you, you said that something didn’t hurt anymore.  What did you mean?”

“Oh, that?  Well...I’m not sure how to really put it, actually.” The veteran warrior scratched her head.  She looked around at the party for a moment, which was starting to wind down - people were wandering off or deciding they had enough drink and food for the night and turning in.  Leaning in, she confessed.  “It’s my old wound.  After that kid punched the hell out of me, and healing me, it just...doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Eh?  F-For real?  It doesn’t hurt?” Mualani almost shouted, but she toned it down at Atea’s gesture for a bit of quiet.  “B-But, I thought you were saying it took a turn for the worse?  That’s why I thought-”

“That this fight would be the last thing before I died?  Yeah, I thought so too.  When I saw your friend and heard about his skill, I thought it’d be nice to get in one good fight before I kicked the bucket, with the wound getting worse and all.  But, I’m just not sure, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Placing a hand over her stomach confirmed the feeling; the ache that had been there for years, the sign of Abyssal energy eating away at her organs, forcing her life shorter and shorter, was completely gone.  Instead, filling its place was an energy that she hadn’t had for a long time.  It was like the missing life in her was revitalized entirely.  “Honestly, I feel better than I have in years.  Whatever your friend did, it cured the pain.”

Mualani couldn’t think of what to say to that.  It had only been around a week ago when Mualani had tearfully hugged Atea, both knowing that she had days to live at best.  Atea’s pain being relieved ignited both a spark of hope in Mualani, but also one of confusion.  There had been nothing the doctor’s could do for a wound so deeply penetrated with Abyssal taint, so how could Bennett-?

“Whoa, what’s going on?” Atea muttered as she leaned to her side to witness a growing commotion.  Some of the few people who had stayed behind to help clean up, or to just continue basking in the party’s ambience as long as possible, were starting to crowd around someone.  Then, slowly, the crowd forced itself to part as their subject of attention stumbled forward, staring forward in a daze.  “Mualani?  I think something’s wrong with your friend.”

“Wait, what?” Mualani twisted around to see - and her eye’s widened at the sight.

Bennett, his movements slow and unfocused, was slowly walking through the venue, eye’s staring forward into nothing.  His mouth was moving, but his voice was too quiet to hear anything.  Someone reached out to try and take his arm, but jumped away clutching their hand, as though burned by some invisible force.

“Bennett?” Mualani said as she got up and walked over to where the adventurer was shambling.  Standing next to him, she cautiously waved a hand in front of his face.  Nothing.  He’s totally out of it...did he drink something bad?   “Bennett?  Can you hear me?” she asked as she slowly reached towards his hand.  She did this, ignoring one of her tribesmen starting to warn her otherwise.  “Ah!” Mualani hissed as she tore her hand away from his skin.  Bennett’s skin was hot .  And not burning like a fever, no, it was like she had touched liquid hot Phlogiston without any kind of protection.  Bennett seemed to vaguely glance in her direction at the sound of her voice, and from that, she could see that his pupils were glowing white-hot.

“Mualani?  What’s wrong?” A familiar voice asked as Kinich and Ajaw ( ugh ) suddenly materialized out of the crowd.

“Seems like your new friend is what’s wrong,” Ajaw snarked as the duo took in Bennett’s doped out state.  Snickering, Ajaw floated over to Bennett, hovering just around his head.  “The heck are you looking at anyway?” Kinich and Mualani watched as Ajaw mockingly turned to look in the same direction as Bennett, eyes glowing slightly.  Then, the pixelated Dragonlord shot back, face red and jaw wide open as he suddenly screamed, “Y-YOU!?”

Kinich’s brow creased in confusion.  “What is it, Ajaw?”

Ajaw, it seemed, was in no mood to answer (a rarity), as he shot off, saying, “Nope nope nope nope nope-” over and over.

“The heck?” Mualani muttered at the sight.  Just running away never seemed like something in Ajaw’s dictionary.  Turning back to Kinich, she said into his ear, “I think Bennett might have drunk something bad,” raising her voice, she asked the stragglers, “Did anyone see Bennett drinking?”

Someone raised their hand, which was revealed to be the Meztli tribesman who had been mixing drinks for the party.  “Uh, yeah, I did.  He was drinking with this Inazuman guy earlier.  Kid downed a shot of some sort of purple drink that the Inazuman guy had, and that’s when it started.” The bartender scowled at the memory.  “Guy barely stayed around to make sure he was okay...”

Kinich promptly strode over to the bar, where Bennett’s empty shot glass was left rolling on the wood.  Taking the one glass that was untouched, he brought it to his nose, taking in a deep sniff.  “Hm...I think I know what this is.  Did anyone see where the Inazuman went off to?” At that, just about everyone shrugged or shook their heads.  Damn.  And I’m quite sure I know who’s behind this too...

Before Kinich could ponder the situation any further, Mualani suddenly yelling, “Ah, Bennett wait-!” tore his attention away.

“Ah...don’t go...!” Bennett cried out in his unfocused state.  He reached out, breaking out into a sprint that people jumped out of the way of, before his foot hit the edge of the deck, sending him careening into a pool face first.

Kinich, Mualani, and Atea, shared a quick dumbfounded look, before Mualani immediately dove in after him.  As Mualani dragged him out of the water and back onto the boardwalk, Atea could only mutter, “What the heck?”

Chapter Text

When he awoke the next morning, it was to the stinging feeling of the sunlight in his eyes, which he reluctantly cracked open.  He looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling, laying on his back on some sort of cushion, which was actually pretty comfy.  But as much as he wanted to fall back asleep and rest off the massive migraine throbbing his head, a distinct feeling of confusion told him that wasn’t a good idea just yet.

“Bennett!  You’re awake!” A familiar voice said, and soon, a friendly face appeared above him in his bleary sight - Mualani.  “How are you feeling?” The Meztli guide continued.  “Any pain anywhere?”

Bennett groaned as he brought a hand to rub at his temples, realizing a bit belatedly that someone had taken off his gloves.  “Ugh...I feel like I fell from the top of Barbatos’ statue...” he groaned.  “Where...where am I?”

“My place.  You kinda...passed out, at the party?” Mualani said with a shrug.  Bennett watched her turn around for a moment before holding up a glass of ice-cold water in front of his face.  “Can you get up?  You should drink.”

With a groan, and a helping hand on his back, Bennett shifted to sitting up, his back leaning against one of the arm rests of what he now knew was the couch located in the living room of Mualani’s house.  Then, he finally looked at himself underneath the blanket that had been draped over him.

Naked.  He was naked.  “U-Uh, w-where are my clothes?” Bennett stuttered out.

“Oh, well, you fell into a hot spring so we had to-”

In the confusion of his nudity, Bennett blurted out the next thing that came to mind.  “I-I have a girlfriend?” He felt his heat warm up immediately.  Why did I just say that!? He thought, absolutely mortified.

Mualani stared at him for a moment, seemingly stunned silent at the randomness of his statement, before she doubled over laughing.  “Hahaha, where did that come from?” she chuckled out.  “Don’t worry, Kinich helped you get undressed, I just got the couch ready so you could sleep somewhere.  Don’t worry, they’re just drying outside.”

“O-Oh,” Bennett replied, still feeling a bit mortified at his random statement.  “Thanks?  Anyway, um, what happened last night?” he asked as he accepted the glass of water, thankful for the cool rush of hydration.  He was parched.

Mualani seemed to turn a bit anxious at that.  “Actually, I was hoping you could help fill that in for us.  Some people said you had a drink with an Inazuman tourist, and after that, we all saw you stumbling around, muttering to someone.  Then you suddenly called out for someone and ran straight into a pool.”

I did?   Bennett began scratching his memory, but things from last night...they seemed to come up fuzzy.  A nasty hangover wasn’t anything new, considering Mondstadt’s many nights of drinking, but this time it all felt wrong.  “I-I’m not sure...I think I remember that guy at the bar, yeah...he had glasses and black hair.  I think he brought out some sort of purple drink, and then...I don’t remember after that.”

Mualani hummed with a frown.  “Hmm, that’s not too good.  Well, I’ve got some light food on the table, maybe you’ll remember while you eat?  C’mon.” The guide held out a hand, which Bennett gladly accepted.  Wobbling to his feet, he managed to stumble into a chair at the table, which was indeed laden with some food.  “Here, try some tacos!” Mualani handed Bennett a plate with tacos, filled with what smelled like some kind of beef.  One bite (or several) later, and he decided it was some of the best food he’d had.

“Oh yeah,” Bennett asked several tacos later.  “Where’s Kinich?  And Kachina?”

“Kinich went out to ask around about what you drank at the party.  He told me he thinks he knows who’s behind it, based on description, but he wanted to be sure before he came back.”

“And Kachina?”

“She went out with Kinich too.  She wanted to make sure you were okay, but I told her I could stay to watch over you, so it was nothing to worry about.”

*knock knock*

“Oh, sounds like that’s them right now!” said Mualani.  “Come in, it’s open!”

The door opened, and Kinich and Kachina walked through, the latter smiling once she saw Bennett.  “Bennett, you’re okay!” she said as she hopped over to give him a little side hug.

“Good to see you’re awake,” Kinich observed before tossing a bundle of clothing into Bennett’s lap, which was still only covered with the blanket from the couch.  “Your clothes are dry now.  Better get dressed before Ajaw finds something to make fun of.” Bennett nodded, and making sure the blanket wouldn’t fall away and expose his junk, quickly stepped out of view to get dressed.

“Where is Ajaw?  I don’t see him with you.” Mualani pointed out.  Not that we particularly miss him right now.

“He’s out terrorizing the Koholasaur whelps,” the Saurian Hunter replied.  “Which gives us some time to talk before he comes back.” Stepping forward, Kinich placed a little bottle filled with purple liquid on the table.  “I asked some Night-Wind contacts about this—luckily, whoever gave it to Bennett last night left their own glass untouched.” Kinich paused as Bennett rejoined them at the table, fully clothed again.  After getting an affirming nod from Bennett, he continued.  “This is an outdated drug used by the Masters of the Night-Wind to induce spiritual hallucinations.  Apparently, its usage fell out of favor because it made people sick from overuse.” He turned to Bennett, who was looking at the bottle with visible recognition.  “Do you remember who you gave it to you?”

Bennett rubbed his temple for a moment, groaning.  “Uh, maybe?  I’m starting to remember what happened, I think.  I think it was this Inazuman guy with glasses.  Black hair, and grey clothes too.  I don’t really remember exactly what we were talking about, but I remember we did a toast, which is when I drank that stuff.” Bennett sighed as the memories of last night continued to trickle through back into what he could remember.

Kinich hummed at Bennett’s description.  There was a serious look in his eyes, and one that Mualani and Kachina recognized as the kind that appeared when a serious job was in order.  “Thanks—that matches what other witnesses at the party said.  I think I know who this is.”

“Really?  Who?” Mualani piped up.

Kinich just shook his head.  “Someone I did business with in the past.  He doesn’t really have a name, and I doubt me and Ajaw could find him either.  He’s the kind of person who’s only found when he wants to be found.  Maybe if I asked the Traveler, he could be found, but I doubt even those two could find him—last time they ran into each other, it was more a coincidence than anything.”

The others groaned in unison, all with hints of disappointment.  “Well, that’s just great ,” Mualani muttered sarcastically.  “We’ve got a suspect we can’t find—anything else to talk about?”

Kinich hummed in thought for a moment.  “Bennett, do you remember anything else from last night?”

Bennett scratched his head, lightly groaning at the situation.  “Uh, I think I’m starting to remember what I saw last night?” When the others looked at him expectantly, he quickly added, “While I was out of it, I mean.”

“Really?” Kachina asked expectantly with a gleam of curiosity.  “What did you see?”

Bennett took a deep breath in as the memories floated to the surface of recollection.  “Well...”

“Everything went kinda dark...I couldn’t see anything anymore, except for these floating lights.  When I got close to them, I thought I heard voices, but they were quiet, so I couldn’t make anything out.  Then some of the lights got close and turned into people.’

“People?” someone asked.  “Like, ghosts or something?”

“Something like that.  They were saying something to me, but—I dunno, it was like they were talking to me through a wall, I couldn’t hear them clearly.  They looked kinda... familiar , though.  One of them was a woman with white hair, and another was a guy with a red bandanna, kinda like...” Bennett trailed off as he lightly tugged on the bandanna wrapped around his right hand.  “...Like this one.  I think they were Natlanese, but they were kinda hazy, so I’m not sure.”

Mualani looked pointedly at Kinich, who returned her glance out of the corner of his eye before Bennett began talking again.

“Then they all faded away, and I saw some sort of old warrior.”

“A warrior?  Were they Natlanese too?”

“Yeah, they were.  It was this tall man with long red hair, but I couldn’t see his face, because he was wearing some sort of skull mask.  I couldn’t hear anything he said either, though.  Then, this large flaming bird appeared next to him, and he started walking away, and I think that’s when I fell in the water, because I started chasing him, then everything just went dark for good.” Bennett shrugged, and let out a sigh.  “Yeah, that’s what I think I saw.”

There was quiet around the table for a few moments as the group attempted to contemplate what Bennett described, Bennett himself leaning his head against his arms as they rested against the wooden surface.  Unfortunately, that moment of quiet was broken up as a flat, green blur flew in through one of the open windows of Mualani’s house.

“Heh, I bore with terrorizing the little whelps, what are you humans up to?” Ajaw cackled as he looked around the room, before scowling at Bennett’s appearance.  “Oh, you .  I was hoping you’d have gone to sleep for a looooong time.”

“We were just talking, before you barged in,” Kinich said as he flicked Ajaw across the face, ignoring the sound of indignation the pixelated Dragonlord made.  “Do any of you have any plans for today?  I was thinking of returning to commissions and patrols if not.”

Mualani and Kachina took turns shaking their heads.  “No, not really, especially after last night,” Mualani replied, before she turned to Kachina.  “You were planning on looking for gems, right?”

Kachina nodded.  “I am.  I saw some good deposits up in the mountains while we were out this morning, so I wanna check them out and see if there’s anything worth taking home.”

“Hm, alright then.  Bennett?  What about you?”

“O-Oh, me?” Bennett scratched his head for a moment, before looking at Kachina, who held a somewhat hopeful look in her eyes.  “I guess I’ll go with Kachina,” he said, and her eyes glimmered.  “I want to keep exploring Natlan, so I guess sticking with her should do it.”

Mualani smiled and clapped her hands together.  “Alright then, it’s decided.  You guys will be heading out, and I’ll be sticking around here to take over at the shop from my parents.  Sounds good?” Everyone nodded.  “Great!  Bennett, it was great meeting you again!” Mualani exclaimed as she jumped up and shook his hands in both of hers.  “Feel free to swing by when you have the time, I’ll show you some more sights!”

Behind her, Kinich nodded with one of his small stoic smiles.  “I’m usually busy with jobs, but you can come by the Huitztlan settlement if you want.  It’s suspended off the cliff face of Coatepac Mountain, so be careful coming in.”

“Ah, I’ll try!” Bennett said, just as Ajaw popped up, attempting to sneak in a, “I wouldn’t mind if you fell off the cliff either-” before he was promptly flicked shut by Kinich again.

“You two should probably head out soon before the sun gets too high.  Scaling the mountains can take a while without help from Phlogiston techniques.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.  Should we go, Kachina?” Kachina nodded enthusiastically.  With that, and a final wave from the two of them, they ran out the door, bags slung on their shoulders and brimming with energy for adventure.

Mualani held her smile for a few moments after they left, before sinking down into a chair as an uncertain look slid over her face.  “Is something wrong, Mualani?” Kinich probed as he sat down next to her.

“... kinda ?  It’s—I’m not really sure how I should put it, or if I’m just overthinking things.”

“Your intuition is usually correct.  Tell me.”

Mualani hummed for a few moments, a slight pout on her face as she thought.  “Well, when we found Bennett in the Night Kingdom while rescuing Kachina, I thought it was kinda weird.  An adventurer from Mondstadt gets shuttled across Teyvat, and he ends up in the Night Kingdom?  He probably could’ve ended up in Nod Krai, or Sumeru instead, since the Abyss is weird like that, but the Night Kingdom?   It just felt like an odd place to get sent to.”

“I suppose so,” Kinich murmured.  “The Night Kingdom is Natlan’s version of the Ley Lines, and a kind of afterlife.  It does seem a bit odd, when you put it like that.”

“And then after when we were going to meet with the Pyro Archon, I joked if he was secretly from Natlan because he and Iansan honestly look like siblings.  It was a joke then , but after some of the stuff that’s been going on, well...I’m wondering if, maybe...”

“He actually is from Natlan?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Think about it,” Mualani said louder.  “He keeps saying he has really bad luck, but nothing has been happening, even when we’ve been around him.  At worst, he and Kachina accidentally unearthed one of those dragon drones, and he drank with someone shady at the party, but that’s it.  And I talked to the Traveler a bit during the party, and he said that Bennett regularly gets hit by rocks out of nowhere, or causes the weather to turn bad just by saying it’s nice.  But nothing like that has happened while we’ve been with him.”

Kinich hummed for a moment.  “That is a good point.  And the Traveler and Paimon confirmed those things are true about him.  If he’s Natlanese, it could be related to the Wayob.”

“Exactly!” Mualani exclaimed with a point.  “Bad luck that suddenly stops after he arrives in Natlan?  That sounds like something Wayob related if you ask me.  And then after their match, Auntie Atea was saying that after Bennett healed her, her wound suddenly stopped hurting.”

Kinich was taken aback at that.  “What?  I thought the doctors confirmed it was fatal?”

“That’s what she was saying about a week ago, it’s why she started going to the hot springs again, and why she gave Mavuika her old talisman.  Then, suddenly, after Bennett heals her, she feels great again.  Now that can’t be a coincidence.  And then there’s the vision he just told us about.”

“Hmm, I thought that was suspicious too, actually.  A vision of a Natlanese warrior with long red hair sounds too much like a coincidence.  In fact, the description alone makes me think of the Pyro Archon.” Glancing over his shoulder where Ajaw would usually hang around, Kinich cleared his throat.  “That reminds me—Ajaw!”

The Dragonlord reappeared by Kinich’s side in a burst of green pixels, and groaned out, “For what reason, lowly servant, that you must interrupt K’uhul Ajaw’s leisure time?”

The Saurian Hunter pinned Ajaw with a glare.  “When Bennett was drugged, you saw something and ran away,” he started.  “What did you see?” He asked with narrowing eyes.

“Feh!” spewed Ajaw as he directed a vitriolic glare that Kinich didn’t think the spoiled Dragonlord was capable of.  There was nothing but pure scorn in his eyes when he spoke again.  “A bastard foe from an old age.  I refuse to deign you with more answers, he deserves to be forgotten for his crimes.” And true to his word, Ajaw shut up before promptly disappearing in a shower of neon sparks.

Mualani and Kinich could only stare at the spot where the Dragonlord once was, before turning to look back at each other.  “...huh.”

---

As Kachina eagerly dashed off down the path leading into the mountains, Bennett couldn’t help but look back at the People of the Springs, both a feeling of joyful remembrance and a slight twinge of regret in his heart.  The People of the Springs...what an incredible time it was there.  I’ll definitely have to come by again.  Maybe I can come with Razor and Fischl someday!

And slight regret, because when telling the others about what he saw in his drug-induced vision, he left something out.  That man with the red hair...that was the man in my dreams.   In the distance, Bennett could see the Wayob totem of the Meztli, standing tall and mysterious.  This all started when I touched the one at the Nanatzcayan...what’s happening to me?

“Bennett?  Is something wrong?”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Bennett put on a smile and turned to Kachina.  “Ah, I was just thinking.”

“Hmm, okay then.  Don’t take too long, or I might just leave you behind!”

Bennett laughed and sprinted after her as she mounted Turbo Twirly, taking off down the road leading into the mountains, leaving an oddly amber colored trail of energy behind...was that there before?  Bennett decided he’d have to ask the Traveler about it next time they met.

Still, as much joy as he was finding adventuring in a new land, it couldn’t help shake the feeling deep down that his accidental arrival in Natlan wasn’t just another unlucky break.  After all, when Bennett was involved, fate was often fickle.

Chapter Text

Before he knew it, time began to fly by.

Up in the mountains and cliffs of Natlan, Bennett and Kachina spelunked for jewels and treasures, Kachina searching for the natural treasures of the earth, and Bennett hoping to remedy his track record of empty chests.  Tribes of Hilichurls had also made their homes up there, nestled further away from the diligent eyes of the tribes of Natlan.  For the two Vision holders, they weren’t much trouble.  When night inevitably fell, they made camp, eating the last of the food Kachina’s mother had packed for them, before falling asleep underneath the cover of a rock shelter as a light rain trickled down overhead.

When they inevitably had to return home to the Nanatzcayan, they did so with bags filled with treasures.  For Kachina, it was shiny gems and stones she had mined out of the stones; Bennett, meanwhile, felt a small swelling of pride at the small, orangish-blue crystal that he had managed to find jutting out of some stones.  According to Kachina, it was crystallized Phlogiston, and a fairly solid piece too.  When he used Elemental Sight, he could even see tendrils of energy that seemed to drip off into the air—Kachina, though, didn’t seem to share the same sight.  Odd.

---

After many more days of adventuring across Natlan together, Kachina got the idea to try putting Phlogiston markings on Bennett.  “For good luck!” she had said with a smile.  Using a fine-pointed brush, she carefully painted the special mixture of ink and powdered Phlogiston onto his face.  He inevitably squirmed and jittered under the ticklish feeling—especially at how it felt like the lines were subtly embedding themselves in his skin—but eventually, Kachina announced, “Done!” and handed him a mirror.

“Whoa,” Bennett softly murmured as he looked at himself in a mirror for the first time in a while.  Two thin pale streaks ran across his cheekbones just under his eyes, gently curving together to join where his nose bandage sat on his nose.  Under each were two small triangles pointing downward, which faded into his skin if the light didn’t quite hit them right.  Additionally, small strokes sat parallel on his jaw, one on each side of his face, which would also fade without the right light.

“Usually, our Phlogiston markings are invisible on our skin until we activate Nightsoul,” Kachina explained as Bennett continued examining her handiwork.  “But some people have some of them visible even without Nightsoul, like Mualani.  For her, they kinda just look like tan lines.”

But that wasn’t the only thing Bennett was looking at.  Since arriving in Natlan, he hadn’t quite kept track of the time, and now, the proof of his time spent was already beginning to show.  A little over a week under Natlan’s bright, hot sun had turned his skin a shade of tan that just about matched Kachina’s own, which inadvertently helped his new warrior markings stand out as well.  Back home in Mondstadt, the cool, mild weather would rarely if ever give out a sunburn, much less a substantial tan.  But now, with the tan and the tattoos, it was no wonder people kept mistaking him for a Natlanese youth.

“U-Um, do you like it?” Kachina asked when Bennett was silent for a few moments longer than she expected.  “I-If you don’t I can do it again-!”

“No, they’re great!” he said with a bright smile.  And from the bottom of his heart, they really were.  Something about the tattoos just felt right .

Kachina beamed with pride, and he knew he’d be keeping these for a long time.

Around the same time that Bennett and Kachina returned to the Nanatzcayan...

Mavuika arrived at the People of the Springs with an arm full of Brilliant Chrysanthemums.  It took a good amount of time gathering them by hand, but if it was for Atea, it was worth it.  The veteran Meztli warrior didn’t talk much of things like flowers, but Mavuika knew anything was better than nothing—especially for someone who had so little time left.

“Pyro Archon!  What brings you here?” Mualani called out as they happened to cross each other on the path.

“Hello, Mualani.  I brought these here for Atea,” Mavuika replied, holding up the small bouquet.  “How is she?”

Expecting a frown or some other expression following the lines of sorrow, Mavuika’s stomach instead did a confused twist when Mualani made an odd face, looking off to the side and pursing her lips slightly.  “Umm...I think you should just come and see for yourself.”

“Ok?” Mavuika wanted to stop and ask what she was talking about, but she instead found herself following Mualani as she led her towards what she was starting to recognize as the Meztli training area.  Filled with training dummies, training weapons, it was also the place where Atea would often challenge Mavuika to a short spar, even if her injury leeched her of her original strength.  “Mualani, what’s going-” Mavuika started, before trailing off at the sight before her.  “On...”

In the middle of one of the sparring rings, easily fighting off about six other warriors, was Atea.  She easily twisted out of the way of a downwards strike from a training sword before sending the wielder to the ground with a back kick, then flipping someone forward and over her shoulder onto the ground when they tried to tackle her from behind.  With the way she was moving, it was like her old injury never happened.  “Ha...good to see you’re back in shape, Atea...” the flipped opponent groaned from her spot on the ground.

Atea quickly laughed out a thanks before looking up to see Mavuika and Mualani watching from the sides.  “Oh, hey Mavuika!” the woman greeted as she quickly crossed the distance between them.  “Are these flowers for me?  You shouldn’t have!”

Mavuika was broken out of her stare as Atea playfully punched her on the shoulder.  “Yeah, I did.  How are you, Atea?”

Atea laughed as she took the flowers from Mavuika’s arms, smiling like a massive weight was off her shoulders.  “I’m feeling great!” When Mavuika visibly stared at her words, Atea laughed again, slapping her on the shoulder.  “Really, I am!  Why don’t we get a drink?  It’s a bit of a story.”

Mavuika loved alcohol as much as the next warrior, especially after a grueling task, but this time, she just drank some juice.  She could tell that whatever story Atea was going to share was one to be sober for.

“So, you remember Bennett, right?  Ashen haired kid from Mondstadt?”

“I do.  Did something happen?”

“You could say so,” Atea said with a laugh.  “See, Mualani came back with the others a few days ago—you know, Kinich and Kachina, those usual three, but this time, that kid was with them on their little training trip.  I found them all soaking in the hot springs together, and when I heard about how strong he was, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to challenge him to a fight.”

Mavuika’s eyebrows creased.  “You challenged him to a fight?  But what about your old injury?”

“I’m getting to that, don’t worry,” Atea waved off.  “So, we get to a good spot, we start exchanging blows, the usual stuff.  He was pretty strong too, actually.  At the end of the fight, he pulled off this pretty impressive move.  He threw his sword at me to distract, then when I threw out a punch, he dodged under before absolutely slugging me while using his Vision.  Right here .” Atea gestured at her stomach, where her old scar was still quite visible and ugly.  Mavuika wanted to say something, but she kept quiet for the moment—the story was still going on.  “When I woke up again, he was healing me with his Vision, and that’s the thing.  After he punched and healed me, it just doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Mavuika looked both bewildered and relieved.  “It doesn’t hurt?” Atea shook her head.  “But all the doctors and healers over the years have said it was untreatable.  How could it be completely healed?”

Atea shrugged.  “That’s the thing, I don’t know.  My only guess is that, somehow, that Bennett kid healed away whatever Abyssal corrosion was left.  All I know is that I feel better than I have in years, and that somehow that kid is behind it.  Tell him thanks if you see him for me, will ya?”

Mavuika slowly nodded.  “I will.” Meanwhile, her head was running with thoughts and ideas, attempting to compile all of what she had just heard.  Bennett, the relatively unassuming young man from Mondstadt, had healed Atea’s old wound—it was almost absurd.  And yet, the proof is right in front of me.  Atea’s alive and okay.  And not only that... Mavuika’s mind drifted back to the first time she had seen Bennett after the Traveler and company had returned from the Night Kingdom, Kachina, a reawakened ‘ Umoja’ Mualani, and one ashen-haired adventurer in tow.  At first glance, Mavuika had immediately pegged him as someone who wouldn’t look out of place in Natlan.  White hair, bright green eyes, and the kind of facial features that were usual on Natlanese folk.  But it wasn’t just that, either.

When we talked during Kachina’s return party, I thought I sensed something about him.  At the time, she wasn’t sure what.  It was like there was a dying coal in his heart, and that only with the right spark would it burst into passionate flames.  But what would that lead to?   And there was no immediate answer Mavuika could think of.

As Mavuika and Atea finished their drinks together, Mavuika renewed her focus.  She had to talk to this kid again, and soon.

As the days went by, Bennett continued adventuring around Natlan, sometimes with Kachina, sometimes by himself, and each one he diligently recorded in his Adventurer Handbook.  That way, when he inevitably did return to Mondstadt, he would have a lot of stories to tell everyone, each exciting expedition and encounter recorded for easy retelling.  A few in particular stood out from the rest...

---

The first time Bennett met Xilonen, the famous Name Engraver of the Nanatzcayan, it was a complete accident.  While out on a ruin dive with Kachina near the Sulfurous Veins—who had run off looking for a potential entrance that wouldn’t cause a collapse if they were forced to excavate it a bit larger—Bennett wandered around the upper plateau, passing under a few trees that conferred some very welcome shade.  When climbing the trees to get a better view popped in his head, he reached up, wrapping his hand around a brown-white spotted branch that dangled from above.

But when he pulled on it to start moving himself up, the branch instead pulled like something elastic and soft, and a loud yowling and hissing followed.  Whoever or whatever was connected to it shook itself, sending Bennett falling to the dirt below.  “Hey, who’s there!?” A groggy voiced hissed.  Moments later, a tall figure dropped to the ground in front of him, rising with a stretch.  It was a blonde woman in a revealing outfit, feline ears and tail swishing and twitching, and a Geo Vision hanging from her neck on a chain.  Her green eyes scanned the area, groggy from sleep, yet alert all the same, before she finally noticed Bennett laying on the ground, looking up towards her.  “Oh, hey,” she said in a casual tone.

“Uh, hi?”

The woman squinted at him for a moment, before a hint of recognition appeared in her eyes.  “Aren’t you that kid who’s been hanging out with Kachina lately?”

Dusting himself off and standing back up, Bennett introduced himself.  “Yeah, that’s me.  I’m Bennett, from Mondstadt.  And you are?”

“Xilonen.  From the Children of Echoes,” she replied automatically.

Recognition sprung to life at her name.  “Oh, I’ve heard about you!  Kachina said you made her drill ride.”

“That I did.  What brings you out here?  Is someone looking for me?”

Bennett shook his head.  “No, I’m just looking around at ruins with Kachina.  She’s looking for an entrance to this buried ruin we found,” he explained.  “Uh, speaking of which, why were you in a tree?”

Xilonen’s yawn and sleepy eyes probably should’ve told him why, but she gave him an answer anyway.  “Just taking my afternoon nap in the sun.  Speaking of which, it’s probably about time I get back to the workshop.  Commissions aren’t going to finish themselves...” she muttered.  “Later.” Activating her Phlogiston enhanced rollerblades, she slinked off, disappearing into the distance back towards the Nanatzcayan.

Moments later, Kachina returned on Turbo Twirly, proudly announcing her discovery of an entrance that was large enough for them to squeeze through, no extra boring required.  With that, the two were finally able to begin their dive into the ruin.  Filled with Secret Source mechanisms and automatons, the place was certainly no cakewalk, but for Kachina and Bennett together, it was manageable—and worth it.  At the end, a large chest awaited them, filled with Mora and precious gems.  With a job well done, the two shared a high five before backtracking out of the ruin to reunite with the surface.

---

Some days after that, during a solo trip that brought him near the volcanic region known as Atocpan, Bennett had a run in with a familiar figure.  As he sheltered from the hot sun underneath a tree’s shade, he spotted a group of people jogging down the path as they approached.  Leading the group, diminutive in stature but not strength, was Iansan, shouting for the people who Bennett would soon learn were her students to, “Keep up the pace!” and “Get that blood pumping!”

Soon, Iansan and her students slowed to a stop, the more tired students pulling themselves under the shade of a group of trees on the opposite side of the road to get some relief.  “Good job, everyone, we’re halfway done!” There were a handful of groans, but for the most part, everyone simply acknowledged their progress with a nod or similar.  Then, as she surveyed the area, Iansan’s gaze inevitably fell onto Bennett, and her expression relaxed.  “Well, well, didn’t expect to see you here, Bennett!  What brings you to this corner of Natlan?”

“Miss Iansan, it’s been a while!” He replied in warm greeting.  “I was just doing some exploring around Natlan, and I guess my feet just wandered me over here.” He glanced at Iansan’s students, who were drinking water and taking a moment to rest their legs.  “Are you guys on a run?”

“That we are!” The coach replied with a smile of pride.  “We’re already halfway done, but you can join us if you want!”

“Uh...” Bennett looked back at her students, all well-built men and women, who already seemed quite tired.  But with Iansan’s expectant smile focused on him, he couldn’t really say no.  Besides, he was a bit curious what the route was like.  “Sure, I’ll tag along!”

“Great!  Make sure you drink lots of water, we’ve still got a good amount of road ahead!”

Bennett considered himself to be quite fit.  He grew up his whole life running around Mondstadt, diving into ruins and domains and fighting monsters in the hills.  But he had severely underestimated Iansan’s training regime.  “Come on, just a few more kilometers!” She shouted ahead of the group.  Normally, a ‘few more kilometers’ wouldn’t be awfully difficult just walking; a considerable distance, but not an impossible one, especially for a trained Vision bearer—especially since Visions seemed to bestow a basic level of extra strength and stamina to their owners—but Iansan was something else.  She ran a considerable distance ahead of the group, Electro lingering in her wake as she sprinted with the power of Nightsoul.

Several times, some of the others tried to catch up, but each time they faltered, Iansan running just a bit too far ahead to truly reach on normal stamina alone.  “Agh, I can’t do it,” the last challenger groaned as they fell back in with the rest of the group.  “Hey, kid, why don’t you give it a go?” they said as attention was suddenly turned onto Bennett.  “You’ve got a Vision, you can probably make it!”

“O-Oh, uh, alright!” Nudged towards the front of the group, Bennett found himself facing down the head start Iansan already had on them all.  At that point, though, he was already feeling pretty tired...but with so many expectant looks on him to at least try, he resolved himself to giving it his best shot.  Mustering his strength, Bennett ran out from the group, beginning to close the gap with Iansan.  He tried to keep his breathing even, but inevitably, he began to sputter and strain from forcing himself to try to run faster, and he began to lag behind again.  From behind, he could see Iansan’s Electro influenced form begin to race ahead again—and that’s when he remembered the skill he had developed thanks to the warriors of Natlan.

Calling upon the power of his Pyro Vision, newfound strength shot through Bennett’s body, and he began to shoot forward as his weariness was wiped away in a massive burst of flame.  Wreathed in fire, he began closing the gap with Iansan, who looked back to witness him charging forwards.  An odd look passed on her face for a moment—was there something on his face?—before she eventually grinned and refocused on herself, and with a burst of Electro, she began to make distance again.  Bennett laughed aloud, the adrenaline running through him rendering his previous exhaustion nothing more than a passing thought, and he too began to charge forward with even more passion.

The two raced down the paths of Atocpan, the running group becoming something of an afterthought in the wake of their impromptu contest.  The spirit of competition pushed them faster and faster, until they eventually looked like a purple and red blur moving ripping down the dirt roads.  When walls of Pulverite stood in their path, Bennett watched as Iansan simply smashed her way through, and with a grin, found that the rocks broke apart under his own strength just as easily.

Soon the entrance to the home of the Teteocan came into sight, and Iansan and Bennett shared a look.  Winner was first through the gates.   The racers pushed themselves even harder, the ground starting to crack under their feet from the pressure they were putting out, and yet neither yielded first place to the other—their speeds were firmly equal.  Then, Iansan’s eyes suddenly widened, and she skidded to a stop.  “Huh?” Bennett turned away from her, only to see someone running out from the gate, also running at a speed that reduced them to a purple blur.  Bennett and the sudden roadblock seemed to see each other at the same time, because they both attempted to come to a stop, but it was too late—they collided head on, the Pyro and Electro fueling their runs reacting, causing an explosion that kicked up a massive dust cloud that obscured Iansan’s sight of the accident.

Iansan covered her face as rocks and clumps of dirt were sent flying away from the blast.  “Bennett?  Varesa?  You two okay!?” She shouted into the dust cloud as it began to clear.  From within the Collective of Plenty itself, several tribespeople shouted in confusion and surprise, some louder voices thinking it was either some sort of attack from the Abyss or the volcano having one of its usual destructive fits.  Eventually, the wind blew away the dust, and Iansan could fully see the extent of the damage.  Laying spread out across from each other were Bennett and the cow-horned Varesa, both unconscious, with developing bruises in the center of their foreheads.

Thankfully, due to her experience hitting objects at full speed horns first, Varesa was the first to stir awake.  She sat up, shook the dust off herself with a wiggle, then looked up to see the person laid out in front of her—and immediately started freaking out.  “Oh my gosh are you okay I’m sorry I hit you do you need help-” The cowgirl immediately began blurting as she started shaking Bennett’s unconscious body, who was just starting to groan to consciousness.

“Ugh, what the-” Bennett groaned before he became aware of the horned girl shaking him.  “Uh, hi?”

“Alright, Varesa, let me see him,” Iansan cut in as she gently pushed Varesa to the side to examine Bennett’s forehead.  There was definitely a bruise, but it was starting to fade quickly.  No blood on him either—surprising considering Varesa’s horns were pointy enough to skewer Hilichurls and get her stuck in cliff faces.  “Bennett?  How are you feeling?”

“Uh, like I ran into a wall, I guess,” he mumbled as he rubbed his head, before spotting the girl kneeling in front of him.  “O-Oh, uh, sorry lady!  Are you okay?”

Iansan chuckled as Bennett began to shift attention to Varesa, who was sitting in somewhat of a daze.  “I was hoping you two would meet someday, but I didn’t think it’d happen like this.” Iansan clapped her hands on Varesa’s shoulders, holding her steady.  “Bennett, this is Varesa, one of my top students and a fellow warrior from the Collective of Plenty.  In fact, I’d say she’s even stronger than me!”

“O-Oh, coach, that’s too much!” Varesa wailed with embarrassment.  “I-If anything, I’m strong because you trained me.”

“Ah, c’mon, you’re a natural!” Iansan pulled the two of them to their feet, before pushing them towards the settlement entrance.  “Y’know what, why don’t you show Bennett around?  I gotta get back to my students.”

“Wait what-”

“Later!” And like a flash of lightning, Iansan ran off, leaving Bennett alone with Varesa in the dust.

As she ran to reunite with her students, Iansan’s mind inevitably drifted.  The race was no doubt exhilarating—not many were capable of going head-to-head with her in a match of pure speed, excluding people like Varesa and Mavuika—but one detail that arose during it lingered in her mind.  Bennett...he says he’s from Mondstadt, and only Natlanese should be able to use Phlogiston to use the Nightsoul’s Blessing.

Then why were his tattoos glowing?

---

Sometimes, when the momentum between these adventures lulled and things calmed down, Bennett would inevitably think back to Mondstadt.  Certain questions would come to mind, like, how are my dads doing?  Are Fischl and Razor still adventuring?  Is anyone else waiting for me?   But each time, Bennett would inevitably remember the man with flaming red hair, the odd sensation looking at a Wayob totem would give him, and his dreams, which had expanded in scope—instead of just the red-haired man, he now sometimes saw a group of four Natlanese adventurers, stuck in various situations.  Sometimes climbing through ruins, sometimes battling monsters in the wild, and sometimes sitting around a campfire, fawning over a bundle held in the arms of a maternal white-haired woman.  The sights were frustratingly familiar—they made him wake with a twisting feeling in his heart, and an unknowable longing would linger for hours after, as though something was wrong with him for not remembering where they came from.

Until he got answers for these things, Bennett felt it would be wrong to leave Natlan.  Perhaps it was fate for him to arrive in the land of fire and war.

Chapter Text

“I’m back!” Bennett called out as he stepped through the doorway of Kachina’s family’s home.  Her parents, Katsinam and Awelo, were nowhere to be seen, but Kachina certainly was.  Soon she was dashing out of her room and embracing Bennett, who returned the sentiment in full.

“You’re finally back!  Where did you go this time?  Did you find anything cool?” She quickly began tossing out questions, excitement shining in her eyes.

Bennett laughed as he placed Kachina back on the floor.  “How about we walk and talk?  I can tell you about some of the stuff I saw!”

Kachina nodded earnestly.  “Let’s go!”

Awelo and Katsinam, as it turned out, were just out working on a dig site.  Some special artifacts had been unearthed, and naturally, as an archaeologist, Awelo had been called out, with Katsinam following to help.  Bennett and Kachina, meanwhile, walked out of the Nanatzcayan settlement, before heading down into the valley to soak up the sun.

“You’ve been gone for a couple of days now.  Where did you go?” Was Kachina’s first question.

“I went towards the volcano this time,” Bennett explained with a gesture in the direction of said natural landmark.  “While I was sitting under a tree by the road, I had a run in with Miss Iansan and her students.”

“Oh, Coach Iansan!  She works really hard, doesn’t she?  Did she invite you to join?”

“Haha, they did.  I really underestimated her, though, she was running ahead of all of us the whole time!  I only caught up when I used my Vision, but then I uh, kinda ran into someone as they were leaving town, and we kinda…blew up.” Bennett trailed off.  “We were both fine though!” he quickly added on upon seeing Kachina’s horrified face.  “Her name was Varesa, turns out she was one of Iansan’s students too, and then Iansan made her show me around while she got back to her students.  It was fun!  Varesa showed me around, introduced me to the chief, and even treated me to lunch at her orchard.”

Kachina giggled.  “That sounds really fun.  I think I’ve seen Varesa at the Stadium a few times during the Pilgrimage.  She’s got big horns, right?” Bennett nodded.  “I should try and talk to her next time I meet her.  I don’t she’s done very well in the Pilgrimage either, so…something to bond over, I guess?”

The two of them laughed at the awkwardness of the idea.  “Oh!  Another time, I ran into these two guys after helping an injured Saurian…”

Some days earlier...

After reaching the top of a cliffside with the help of his pseudo Nightsoul state, Bennett dispelled the elemental state, allowing the Pyro power to dissipate.  Better save it just in case.  His wandering had brought him to a tall, sharply vertical area of Natlan that lay northwest of the stadium.  Tall painted cliffs stretched into the heavens as red Qucusaurs and hot air balloons soared in the sky.  It was a breathtaking sight.  After taking a moment to stretch and crack out the kinks in his joints, Bennett began his usual routine, walking along the paths looking for points of interest and ruins to potentially search through.  But as he neared a wooden outpost, he found something else.

Bennett looked around at the small, derelict outpost—its wooden walls were rotting and falling apart, and not a soul was in sight.  “Nobody’s here…guess they must’ve abandoned the place,” he muttered as he pushed a little clay pot around on the ground with his foot.  It was filled with grains, but with nobody around, they had gone moldy.

*clunk*

Bennett spun around at the noise from behind.  Aside from a few observation platforms and abandoned huts, the outpost also had a large stable looking building.  He had passed it by earlier, but now…that noise came from there.  Quietly, Bennett crept through the open entrance, hand ready to pull out his sword, until…

“Gah!” Bennett leaped backwards as a red beak suddenly pecked down on where his foot had been moments before.  He summoned his sword, raising it in front of him for a fight, only to relax again a moment later.  Laying atop the sparse leftover hay was a massive bird like creature, with feathers in various shades of bright red, underlined by a white underside.  The creature seemed to shriek in his direction, before limply laying its head on the ground.  With a gulp, Bennett slowly edged towards the creature, slowly extending a hand.  Kachina told me about Saurians the other day, uh, which one is this?  Red feathers with a white underside, talons—or are they claws—A Qucusaur then?  The Qucusaur let out a weak squawk as Bennett got closer, his hand edging towards its head.  “Hey there,” Bennett softly murmured as his hand hovered above its head while a pointed eye glared.  “Are you hurt?”

The Qucusaur let out a weak groan.  It shifted slightly, revealing the damage—one of its wings had a large gash across it, tainted with some sort of dark substance.  Bennett gulped at the sight; it looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had seen a similar injury before.  “That must hurt,” he said as he finally placed his hand on its head.  The Qucusaur crooned with approval.  Maybe I can find a doctor?  But I don’t know much about this area…Bennett sat there for several moments, comforting the injured Saurian, thinking…then, he remembered:  Wait, I can heal with my Vision!  Shifting into a position where his hands hovered above the tainted wound, Bennett looked at the Saurian, who weakly returned his gaze with whatever fierceness it could muster.  “I-I’m gonna try healing you, okay?  This is gonna feel warm, for a bit.”

With a deep breath, Bennett called upon the power of his Pyro Vision.  Warmth and heat gathered in the palms of his hand as he began the process.  Slowly but surely, the wound began to close, the substance contaminating the wound burning away and replacing itself with what it had damaged.  The Qucusaur seemed to breathe out in relief.  After several minutes, the wound was fully healed.  Huh…I thought I could only heal up to a certain amount?

Bennett didn’t get to ruminate on his seemingly improved abilities any further, because the newly healed Saurian stood up, shook out its feathers, and stepped out of the stable and out into the open, spreading its wings—but it didn’t take off.  Instead, it looked back at Bennett, an expectant look in its gaze.  When Bennett stood at the entrance staring, it shook its body again, seeming to glance for emphasis at its open back.  “Y-You want me to…get on?”

The Qucusaur let out a caw as it gestured again, as if saying, “Yes, now hurry up!”

“Alright then,” Bennett replied, somewhat hesitant to get on the back of a creature he only just met a few moments ago—then again, he had seen people flying on the backs of Qucusaurs on the way, so he supposed it would be alright?  Clambering onto its back, he secured his hold by gripping its feathers around where its shoulders(?) met its wings, which the Saurian seemed to nod at.  His passenger’s grip secured, the Qucusaur bents its knees, before leaping high towards the sky with a flap of its wings, sending them skyward with a great rush of air.

“WHOA-!” Bennett yelled as they soared skywards.  Wind whipped harshly at his face, feeling as though it could dislodge him at any moment, but still, he held firm to the Qucusaur.  As the soaring feeling began to die down, Bennett absent-mindedly slipped his goggles over his eyes—he couldn’t quite remember the last time he actually wore them over his eyes than just on his head, but flying on the back of a Saurian seemed an appropriate time to use them for their intended purpose.  Bennett caught his breath as they leveled out and began to glide, before promptly losing his breath again.

Up in the skies, Natlan seemed to bare itself fully to his sight.  Painted cliffs and mountains and the ever blue sea stretched across the horizon.  The wide savannas and canyons he and Kachina had run around in seemed like little fields and crevices from so high up.  Turning his head around, he could spot a good few landmarks: The Masters of the Night-Wind, The Stadium of the Sacred Flame, The Great Volcano of Tollan—the land of Natlan, in all of its beauty, seemed to be bared fully for him to see.  Forget the sight Bennett had seen after reaching the top of the cliff, this was a truly breathtaking sight.

“Wow…this is incredible,” he quietly remarked with awe.  “Thank you.  It’s beautiful up here,” he said quietly into the Qucusaur’s ear.  The flying Saurian let out what sounded like a noise of contentment.  Soon, they were flying above the settlement of the Tlalocan, the tribe’s reds and whites acting as a beacon from above.  “Whoa!” Bennett gasped as the Qucusaur began to swoop down towards the tribal settlement.  A large central platform with an obsidian Wayob totem seemed to be the Saurian’s landing target—it circled around the platform several times, slowly slowing and descending, before touching down gracefully on the wood.

Slowly, he slid off the Qucusaur’s back, before reaching his hand up to pet it around the head.  It trilled happily, returning the favor by reaching its head out to nudge and snuggle against his.  “Haha, that tickles!” Bennett chuckled, drawing the attention of a few Flower-Feather clansmen.

“Who is that kid?”

“Dunno.  Doesn’t look like he’s from the Clan, though.”

“But he just flew in on a Qucusaur, not just anyone can do that!”

Ignoring the chatter of a few witnessing passerby, a man in a white coat accompanied by a little pink floating ball approached Bennett.  “Yo.  That was a solid landing you made there.”

“Oh, hi!  And thanks, but uh, it was mostly all them though,” Bennett replied as he gestured to the Qucusaur, who puffed up in pride.  “I’ve never flown like that before today, hehe.”

The man raised an eyebrow.  “For real?  Must’ve done something real good for this guy to trust you so much.”

“No way bro!  That’s crazy bro!” The little floating pink ball next to him parroted.  Upon a closer look, it seemed to be a really small Qucusaur itself, with a little eyepatch, bag and badge too.

“This is Cacucu, my assistant, and I’m Ifa, a sauro-vet,” the man introduced.  “You might’ve seen me here and there helping out Saurians in the wild or in other tribes, but it’s all good either way.  You are?”

“Bennett, leader of Benny’s Adventure Team!” Bennett responded instinctively.  “I’m from Mondstadt, but, well, I kinda got tossed here after falling in a hole, it’s a long story.”

“Hm, Bennett?  I think I’ve heard that name somewhere on the wind.” Ifa replied smoothly, a small smirk on his lips.

“R-Really?”

Ifa laughed.  “You bet.  The rumors say you fended for yourself in the Night Kingdom until the Traveler and the others happened to arrive, that you look a lot like Coach Iansan and raced with her-”

“Not that again…” The ashen-haired youth muttered under his breath, which went unnoticed by either Ifa or Cacucu.

“You fought the Springs’ own Candlekeeper so well that she’s apparently better than she’s been in years, and that you’ve been hanging out a lot with little Kachina.  Gotta say, you’ve really gotten around in Natlan, haven’t ya?”

Bennett blushed slightly at the odd phrasing, but he laughed it off.  “Ah, I guess I have.  It’s been great, gotta say.  There’s so much to see and so much to do, I honestly get a little bit lost just thinking about how much new stuff there is.”

“Even though you came here by accident?”

He nodded.  “I’m used to bad luck hitting all the time.  Honestly, I think this has been one of the few times my luck has been for the better!”

The two shared a lighthearted chuckle for a moment.  “Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Suddenly, the Qucusaur that had flown Bennett to the Flower-feather Clan let out a caw, before nuzzling Bennett around the neck.  “That reminds me, how did you meet with this guy?”

“Oh, I found them abandoned outpost farther down the mountains.  I looked around, and he was the only one there.  He had this injury on his wing, but I healed it,” Bennett explained.  “Since he flew me, I guess that means he’s doing a lot better, huh?” Bennett scratched the Qucusaur under the chin, and it crooned in contentment.

“For real?  Let me see—which wing?”

“Oh, uh, the left, I think?”

Bennett watched as Ifa ran his gloved hands over the Qucusaur’s left wing.  His gaze, previously casual and soft, turned sharp and diligent as he examined the wing.  A pale spot on the upper left wing was the main remnant of where the scar previously sat, the start of new feathers just about visible to the trained eye.  “Hmm…you said you healed it?” Bennett nodded.  “Well, you’ve done a good job, then.  This looks like the kind of wound that comes from Riftwolf claws—wounds from Abyssal creatures are always trouble because of their corrosion, but it looks like you’ve managed to heal it away completely.  Nicely done.” Ifa then held out his fist towards Bennett.

Bennett flushed a little at the sudden praise, but accepted Ifa’s gesture of a fist bump.  “T-Thanks!”

Ifa smiled, and Cacucu chirped happily.  “Y’know what, since I’m not planning on going on vet patrol today, why don’t I show you around?”

“O-Oh, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Think of it as a veterinarian’s thanks for helping out a Saurian in need.  Or a Flower-Feather Clan thanks for helping a stranded Qucusaur,” Ifa insisted with a smile.

“Just take it, bro!” Cacucu squawked.

Bennett cracked an awkward smile at the bird’s words, but eventually, he nodded.  “Alright then.  Where to first?”

After the Qucusaur was given a clean bill of health by the sauro-vet, it flew off to rejoin its brethren in the skies, leaving Ifa and Cacucu free to show Bennett around the Flower-Feather Clan.  It was an amazing place, especially with how flying was an almost everyday activity.  Thinking back to Mondstadt, Bennett could certainly think of a certain red bunny Outrider who would love the Tlalocan.

As the tour neared to an end, a courier from the Scions suddenly dropped in front of them, a package in hand.  “Mr. Ifa?”

“That’s me.  Got a package for me?”

The courier nodded.  “It’s from Granny Iztli.  She wants you to pass it on to Ororon, since she can’t find him herself.”

“Seriously?  Well, alright then.  Tell her well wishes if you see her again,” Ifa said as he signed off on the package, leaving the courier free to return to his duties.  It was an unassuming paper parcel, tied with a pinkish-purple twine with a note attached—while Bennett didn’t get a chance to read it, it contained something Ifa somewhat grimaced at.  “Yikes, Granny is angry too,” he muttered with a sigh.  “Sorry, Bennett, looks like we’ll have to cut the tour a bit short.  Citlali—everyone calls her Granny Iztli—wants me to pass something on to Ororon.  Apparently he’s been missing for a while now, but I guess she trusts me to track him down?”

“Seriously bro?” Cacucu cawed.  “Oh dear, oh dear!”

Bennett waved off Ifa’s apology.  “It’s fine.  I can help you find this Ororon guy too, I’m good at a lot of things!”

“Heh.  Alright then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.  Ororon can be hard to find if he wants to hide.”

Ifa wasn’t kidding.  It took a solid one to two hours of flying around and scouring areas that Ifa described as, “Places that resonate with Ororon’s energy,” (read: places Ororon just liked hanging out at) before they eventually arrived somewhere in the deep ravines at the bottom of the settlement where the Masters of the Night-Wind were.  “Ororon!” Ifa called out into the surrounding valley of stone.  “Granny wants me to give you this package!  It's those soul stones you need!”

There was a sudden flapping sound from behind before a pair of feet hit the ground.  “Not too loud!” The newcomer hissed.  Turning around, Bennett came face to face with a tall tattooed man with mismatched blue and red eyes, dressed in dark, rather dramatic looking clothing.

“Ororon, there you are!” Ifa greeted with a smile, before shoving the package into the eccentric’s chest, who let out an audible, “Oof.” Ifa’s smile then turned notably colder.  “That’s for making us search for you for a solid two hours.”

“Oh…sorry.” Ororon murmured.  Inspecting the contents of Granny Iztli’s parcel, he gave a quiet, “Thanks,” before turning around and crouching, preparing to take off.

“Wait!” Ifa said before Ororon could flee.  Ororon stilled, before turning to look back at the three of them.  “Where have you been?  Citlali and the others have been saying you’ve been gone for a while now.  That’s kind of weird, even for you bro.”

“That’s weird bro!” Cacucu parroted.  “Are you for real, bro?”

At that, Ororon’s expression turned notably guilty, and his eyes became downturned.  “Are you involved in something shady?  Is that we haven’t been able to find you recently?” Ifa pressed as he took a step closer to Ororon, hands on his hips.  “It better not be related to something like Saurian trafficking.  You know how I am about that.”

Ororon’s gaze shot up, a mixture of surprise and accused frustration in his eyes.  “No!  It’s just—what I’m doing is for the good of all Natlan…that’s all I can say.” Ororon turned back around, but not before glancing at each of them in turn—Ifa, Cacucu, and Bennett, who had stood off to the side, watching quietly.  Ororon’s expression turned confused upon looking at the ashen-haired youth, which then turned into genuine curiosity.  But feeling the disappointed gazes of Ifa and Cacucu on his back, Ororon ducked away, hiding his face.  A purple glow overtook him, and he shot off into the sky with a flash of Electro energy, before disappearing entirely from sight.

“Whoa!” Bennett scanned the skies over and over.  He had just…vanished.  “What was that?”

Ifa sighed.  “Probably some Night-Wind trick.  Ororon’s clever, he knows what to do if he gets in trouble.” Ifa let out another sigh, this time heavy with emotion.  “Sorry you had to see that.  Ororon’s been off Archons knows where, so we’ve been having some trouble, you could say.  I would try and track him down myself, especially if he’s involved in something shady, but he warned me not to several times.  I guess better to let it lie at this point, huh?” Bennett grimaced, sympathetic—it reminded him of Kaeya and how closed off he often was.  “Anyway, thanks for helping me find that moron.  If you see him again, tell him I’ll be waiting to scold him at my clinic, yeah?”

“Oh uh, yeah, I will!” Bennett replied with what he hoped was a comforting smile.

“Heh, thanks.  Anyway, I should get back in case something comes up.  Stay safe, the Abyss has been getting restless lately—you don’t want to get caught out by something like Riftwolves alone.  See ya later, bro.”

“See ya, bro!” Cacucu chirped as Ifa channeled the power of Nightsoul to empower them both, and with that, they flew off back towards the Flower-Feather Clan, leaving Bennett alone to ponder the encounter.

Back in the present day…

“Whoa…” Kachina murmured.  “That sounds complicated.”

“I know, right?” Bennett replied.  “They kinda reminded me of Captain Kaeya and Master Diluc back home in Mondstadt.  Or maybe like frustrated exes—argh, then Captain Kaeya and Master Diluc aren’t a good analogy, I can’t see them like that at all…” Bennett began rambling.  Unbeknownst to him, Kachina had suddenly frozen.  “I should just ask them next time I see one of them if they don’t mind, do you think they’d mind, Kachina?” No response.  “Kachina?”

The girl was suddenly standing still, eyes wide, tension visibly rising in her body like she was about to bolt—or even fight.  “Kachina?  What’s wrong?”

Empty hands began to clench like they were grasping for a weapon as a subtle tremble began to shake Kachina.  “R-Riftwolves,” she choked out.  Her large ears twitched, listening for something Bennett quite couldn’t.  “I-I can hear them.”

“What?” With creeping alarm, Bennett began to spin around, looking around the area.  Save for themselves, the valley was empty…but that was odd.  There had been some Saurians and birds lolling about before, but now, they were alone.  “A-Are you sure you’re not imagining it, Kachina?”

“No, I’m not-!” Kachina gasped, before summoning her spear.  She pulled Bennett close, keeping him close to her back as her eyes began to scan the area for any signs.  “They’re getting closer…” she squeaked.

Shit, I don’t think she’s having a nightmare this time-! Bennett summoned his sword, holding it across his body in a defensive stance as he moved to stand back to back with Kachina.  Suddenly, the valley didn’t seem so inviting and beautiful anymore.  They were caught out in the open, alone, and some distance away from any settlements or outposts.  In an ambush, such a place would be a grave.

Then, Bennett heard them.

Hollow, empty howls echoed around the empty valley, bouncing off the stone walls and drilling into their ears.  It didn’t sound like the howling of wolves—time spent together with Razor and his Lupical taught Bennett that these kinds of howls were from beings that were more monster than wolf.  And they sounded close.

Bennett barely had time to react as a rift was torn open in space out of the corner of his eye.  “Look out!” he yelled as he pushed Kachina away as a massive Riftwolf snapped its jaws over the empty space they had just been occupying.  The monstrous hound turned to snarl at Bennett, baring its fangs as they dripped with corrosive poison.  Around them, several more rifts opened, and Riftwolves began to pour out—mostly smaller whelps, but a few larger, mature hounds too.  They snarled and snapped at the air, eager to pounce and sink their jaws into their prey.

Bennett adjusted the grip on his sword, gritting his teeth as a sinking feeling of dread pooled in his stomach.  Kachina, after recovering from Bennett’s save, gripped her spear, trying to muster her resolve.  I am Uthabiti.  I’ve fallen in battle and returned.  I’ve fought these monsters before.  I will not let this be my final battle.

With a flash of Geo-tinted light, Kachina called upon the blessing of Nightsoul, brandishing her Geo infused spear with renewed strength.  Across from her, Bennett did the same, Pyro engulfing his body to form an unshakable strength.  With a roar, the Rockfond Rifthound between them flew forward, jaw’s snapping as the rest of its pack descended upon the two warriors.

Bennett’s heart sank when the wolves all simultaneously began their attack, but Kachina immediately blew them away with a concentrated ground slam of Geo from the tip of her spear, forcing them back and giving the two human warriors a bit of breathing room.  The large Rifthound that had initially gotten between him and Kachina pushed through it, evidently resistant to Geo, its jaws snapping toward him.  To that, Bennett dodged to the side, before drawing his sword through the side of the bizarre floating anatomy it had for a body.  It howled as its wound burned with Pyro, slamming into the ground, scrambling to return to stance as the rest of its brethren recovered from Kachina’s attack.

The two of them quickly got back into position, keeping back to back as the Rifthounds, spurred by a howl from the largest among them, began their attack again.  Standing back to back, they made a defense.  Kachina deflected and blocked the worst bites and claw swipes with the length of her spear, while thrusting her out at any vulnerability.  Bennett, with his Pyro infused sword, slashed at the Rifthounds as they came, sending them flying backwards as he struck with all the strength he could muster.

For all intents and purposes, they were doing a good job of holding them back.

But the hounds just kept coming.

“Bennett, look out-!” Kachina shouted.  He had no time to react as an attack came from their blind spot—a Rockfond Rifthound’s tail whipped through the air, striking him across the back and sending him flying.  The air literally whipped out of his body, Bennett landed roughly in the dirt, his hand just barely still clutching his blade.  He had no time to catch his breath, though—the same Rifthound and two of its smaller kin were already upon him.

He caught the Rifthound’s jaws with his blade, the steel whining and creaking as the two struggled against each other.  The strength of Pyro was still coursing through his body, but Bennett could already feel it starting to fade.  His body ached and bled from where the Rifthound’s sharp tail had whipped against him, tearing through his clothes and skin and leaving a gash going up the length of his back to his shoulder.  Bennett screamed as pain suddenly exploded in his side and leg—the smaller hounds had taken the opportunity to dig their jaws into his side and ankle—but he gritted his teeth against the pain.  “Get…off!” He ground out as he took a hand off his sword to punch the Rockfond in the side, causing it to release his sword in a whine of pain.  Logic told him to retrieve the sword and get rid of the other two, but his battle instincts told him to act immediately—instead, gripping onto the Rifthound’s bottom jaw with one hand, he pushed into its gaping maw with his sword.  It howled in pain, but Bennett gave no mercy as he sliced its head open down the jaw, lettings its dying body drop to the ground before its body crumped in on itself, sucked back into whatever dimension they came from.

With his hands free again, Bennett tore the whelp clamped into his side out, slamming it into the ground before driving his sword through its eye.  The one attached to his ankle was wise enough to let go and get some distance, but for its efforts, it couldn’t escape—in a single leap, Bennett flew forward, sword raised, before cutting it down with one mighty blow of fire.

After catching his breath, Bennett looked up to see Kachina managing to hold her own.  The range of her spear was serving her well—a piercing strike through the maw would go out before a Rifthound could plunge its teeth into her, and a wide, sweeping spin over the head forced the remaining Rifthounds backward, lest they get hit with the blade end.  But still, one vs many was still a disadvantaged fight.  As Kachina took out one of the larger hounds by slamming Turbo Twirly into its face, one of the whelps took advantage of her distraction to slip under her defenses and bite her around the ankle.  Her cry of pain spurred him into a sprint, sword raised to help thin the hoard that was still around her.

Then, just barely out of the corner of his eye, he saw a rift open.

Kachina grit her teeth as she kicked the whelp off with a well aimed blow to the snout, leaving her to briefly clutch at her bleeding ankle before another Rifthound tried to take another bite out of her.  Rolling across the dirt, she just about dodged its bite, before a wild swipe with her spear’s broad head ripped the Thundercraven’s lower jaw off.

Then, a terrible scream of pain ripped through the air.

Kachina turned to look—and her blood ran cold.  Bennett yelled and pounded on the Rifthound’s face as it held him against the ground, his body held in a vice grip in its jaws around the chest.  He and the monster struggled a bit more, before it finally flung him through the air with a flick of its head.  He hit the ground hard and didn’t get up.

“Bennett!” Kachina heard herself screaming as she tore across the field.  He seemed to faintly stir at her voice—Archons, there was so much blood—but before she could reach him, a Rifthound leaped upon her, forcing the pika-girl to use the shaft of her spear to stop its jaws.  “Get-!  Away!” she gritted out.  “Bennett, hold on!”

Bennett stirred awake to a gnawing pain in his side.  Shit.  Did I…black out?  His eyes unclouded, his senses slowly returning to him as adrenaline slowly forced him awake again.  “Bennett-!” A familiar voice called out.  “Hold on!”

Kachina.

Concern helped Bennett force himself back to full alert.  The pain in his torn up, bleeding side lulled to a throb as he slowly stood up.  He felt lightheaded and shivering—blood loss, no doubt—but his body was on autopilot now.  Survival instinct dictated that no matter what, he had to stay awake.  Sleep now meant death.

Kachina struggled against the remaining Rifthounds, but they were whelps—the final mature hound was still interested in him, it seemed.  His blood still dripped from its jaws as it growled, floating closer to the maimed adventurer.  He felt drained.  Without his pseudo Nightsoul state empowering him, the injuries, the blood loss, and the corrosion inflicted by the Rifthounds were impossible to ignore.  But Kachina was pinned down and struggling—she needed help.

For his loved ones, Bennett would set his heart ablaze.  Even if it burned him to ash.

The Rifthound snarled, and mustering what strength he had left, Bennett returned the gesture.  “Come on!” he growled as Pyro began to engulf his body again, a blessed second wind as the hellhound charged him.  It lunged jaws wide, seeking to take another bite out of him, but Bennett raised his sword, allowing it to take the brunt of its bite again as he tried to force the Rifthound to the side.  It ripped its head in the other direction in response, and then, there was suddenly a snap-

His sword broke.

Bennett could just barely register what had happened before he found himself stabbing the Rifthound repeatedly in the head with the broken, but still sharp half of his Traveler’s Handy Sword in his hand.  Numbly, he stopped when he finally realized the Rifthound had already ceased moving.  Its corpse collapsed on itself, leaving the broken off half of Bennett’s blade to fall to the ground once released from its jaws.  In the back of his mind, Bennett felt a vague feeling of sorrow at the broken state of his sword.  His dad’s had given it to him as a gift years ago, had been his primary adventuring weapon for years, and now, it was snapped in two, one broken half dripping with Abyssal blood and the other laying in the grass of Natlan.  But he’d mourn it later.

Charging the remaining half of his sword with Pyro, Bennett threw it with as much strength as he could towards Kachina’s part of the battle, in spite of his body screaming to stop.  It shot through the air like a bullet, skewering two Rifthound whelps that had attempted to jump on Kachina from behind as she finished off the last one on the ground.

With the last of the Rifthounds dead, there was only silence in the valley for several moments.  Blood and torn up ground was the only evidence that an ambush of Rifthounds had happened at all, with the offending monsters’ bodies collapsing and imploding into themselves.

Then, like a candle flame being blown out, Bennett’s second wind ended.

He coughed hard, choking as blood was forced out of his airways.  Without his Pyro Vision fueling him, he fell to the ground as he continued to cough up blood.  He tried to breathe, but it hurt to even just draw breath.  The Rifthound’s fangs…they must’ve dug deeper than he originally thought.  The lightheadedness returned, forcing darkness into the edges of his eyes as his strength began to rapidly fade.  Then, Kachina appeared, dragging herself over Bennett and shaking his body.  There was panic and worry in her eyes as she shouted something that couldn’t make out—it suddenly felt like there were cotton balls in his ears.  “Kachina…” he felt himself mumble.  She was ignoring her own injuries trying to help him right now—lacerations, scratches and bites all marred her body, but thankfully not to the same degree Bennett was feeling mangled.

It was getting dark…but Bennett felt one last bit of energy within him.

Raising his hand, he slowly squeezed it into a fist, feeling a slight respite to his pain as whatever Pyro energy he could muster flowed through his body and into his fist, concentrating.  Then, he let it burst out all at once, enveloping the two of them in a ball of warm, soothing fire.  Kachina seemed to gasp in surprise as the flames enveloped them both, the fires burning away the worst of her injuries in real time.  Then, concern took over her face again as Bennett began to feel himself slipping under.

But Kachina was okay, and that was good enough.

With that, Bennett let darkness overtake him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

The red-marked Tepetlisaur whelp crooned as Aether scratched him under the chin.  “Aww, who’s a good Tepetlisaur?  You are Armavillo!” Paimon gushed as she also rubbed his horn, drawing more croons and growls of contentment out of the Saurian.

The three of them sat on the edge of one of the islands that hovered over the Ameyalco Waters—The Upper Sanctum, some called it—looking out over at the view of Natlan their high position granted.  It was a nice sight, and the Phlogiston hot spring found on the largest island was a nice treat too, especially after helping Chikya on her journey to reach them.  “Ahh…I wish some of the others could come see this,” Paimon sighed as she rested her weary wings(?).  “It’s like the nail on Dragonspine, but without being so cold!”

“I know, right?  Dragonspine is nice, but only when you’re not freezing to death,” Aether added.  Armavillo tipped his head to the side, the conversation going over his head.  “I wonder if Mualani’s ever thought of coming up here.  I bet she’d love to explore a place like this.”

“Oh, definitely!  Actually,” Paimon thought for a moment.  “I can think of one other person who’d love this—Bennett!”

“Oh, he would!” Aether replied with realization.  “Kinda surprised I didn’t think of him.  Speaking of Bennett, I wonder how he’s doing?  It’s been, like, 3 weeks since he arrived in Natlan?”

“Probably a month at least.  Hey, you remember what Mualani and the others at the Springs were saying while we were passing through, right?  How he had a fight with Atea?”

“A spar, but yeah, I did.  She was doing really when we saw her—she even said her old would wasn’t hurting anymore.” The mention of the veteran Meztli warrior and her wound led Aether to remember the conversation he, Atea, and Mualani had away from the party that they had spent so much effort preparing.  Mualani had cried as she embraced Atea, knowing that she didn’t have much time anymore.  Even after Aether had purified the Abyssal power that had wounded her during the attack on the settlement, it was clear that nothing more could be done for her.  That made it all the more surprising when Atea and Mualani had cheerfully greeted them as the Traveler and his closest companion visited on a whim, saying that somehow, Bennett’s spar and healing had rid Atea of the wound that had festered for years.

It was certainly an anomaly, but well…they had a time, didn’t they?  “Well, we can just ask him about it the next time we meet Bennett!” Paimon said cheerfully after Aether went quiet in thought.  “Besides, it’s Bennett, he’s probably doing really well, even right now!”

(Unbeknownst to the three of them, this conversation occurred at the same time Kachina and Bennett were getting mauled by Riftwolves.  Talk about poor timing.)

Meanwhile, in other places in Natlan, at various times over the past few days…

“Oh, Pyro Archon!  What brings you here?”

…

“You’re looking for Bennett?  Oh, well, he was here a few days ago exploring.  My students and I ran into him while he was resting under a tree, so we convinced him to join us.  He was keeping up with the others at first, but man, you should’ve seen him when he put his back into it!  All of a sudden, we were racing back to town, and the only reason we didn’t have a winner was because he and Varesa headbutt at the gate.”

…

“Nah, don’t worry, they were both fine!  I got Varesa to show him around after that.  From what I heard, they had a great time!  Although, there was one weird thing while we were racing…”

…

“Well, when I noticed he was catching up, I saw he was using his Vision to send himself into an empowered state, almost like a pseudo Nightsoul.  But then when he got closer, I noticed that the tattoos he had were glowing, like actual Nightsoul!  Oh yeah, he got tattoos to go with his tan, dunno when though.”

…

“...Is this related to the plan?”

…

“Tenoch…he didn’t have an Ancient Name, right?”

…

“Right.  And Bennett said before that he was found as an orphan before he was brought to Mondstadt.  But if Tenoch had some secret backup plan, wouldn’t he have told you and everyone else?”

…

“I think you should try to find him.  Bennett, I mean.  He may not know anything that’s going on, growing up in Mondstadt and all, but maybe you’ll figure something out when you meet again.”

…

“Ah, it’s no problem!  I hear he’s been living with Kachina at the Children of Echoes, so maybe you’ll find him there.  Good luck looking, Mavuika.”

---

“Oh, Mavuika.  What is it this time?  Another crazy idea for your motorcycle?”

…

“Oh, something normal this time, that’s refreshing.  I’d say to go over to where Kachina and her family live, but I don’t think he’s here.  Last time I saw him, he was going spelunking with Kachina, but I heard her say he was going off on some solo runs.  Who knows, he could be at the Flower-Feather Clan by now.”

…

“Did I see anything weird from him?  Unless you count mistaking my tail for a branch, then no.  He does seem to be integrating into Natlan pretty well, though.  He’s got tattoos and everything, I think Kachina’s parents are even trying to teach him some of the native language.”

…

“A hypothetical?  Better be short.  I was trying to take a nap when you burst in here.”

…

“Hmm…I can’t say.  ‘Someone being destined to get an Ancient Name, but leaving Natlan before they get it.’  Well, you know how things are in Natlan right now, nobody can afford to leave, not when the Abyss is getting rowdy again.  Besides, it never seemed like Bennett indicated he had any problems with stuff like memory before he came here, unless you count that bad luck he keeps mentioning, but you said yourself memory problems are the only usual symptoms of being disconnected from the Night Kingdom.  Might have to ask Citlali about this little ‘hypothetical’ of yours, Mavuika.”

…-

“Alright, now get out, I’m overdue for my afternoon nap.”

---

“Oh, Mavuika.  What brings you to granny’s doorstep this time?”

…

“...I would have to meet him first.  I’ll tell you if that happens.  Now, goodbye.”

THUNK

---

“Oh, Mavuika.  What’s up?”

…

“Well, I haven’t really met him yet, so I can’t say for sure, but when we were in the Night Kingdom together during Kachina’s rescue, he held his own pretty well.  Other than that, not much.  I did see him come by here the other day on a Qucusaur, but we just passed by in the air; I don’t even think he noticed me.  As far as I know, Ifa was the one who showed him around, then they went off into the valley on an errand.  I haven’t seen him since, so maybe he went off on another adventure…Mavuika?  Something wrong?”

Mavuika let out one big sigh.  “No, it’s nothing.  Thanks for telling me, Chasca.”

One drive/flight on the Flamestrider later, at a random, quiet spot where Mavuika knew people wouldn’t hear her, she let out some frustration.  By yelling loudly.  “HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO FIND ONE KID, I’M THE PYRO ARCHON FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!” she yelled, finally letting that bottled frustration out.  Then, she kicked the back wheel of the Flamestrider.  “Ow ow ow…” Unfortunately, being Pyro Archon didn’t make her immune to stubbing her toe.

Still, that put a damper on her frustration, and forced her to calm down and think.  Okay, time to review…Bennett and the Traveler say he’s from Mondstadt, and they were telling the truth.  But Iansan said he could use Nightsoul, he healed Atea’s old wound, and everyone seems to agree that he fits into Natlan like he was born here.  Hypothesis: he really was born here, and for one reason or another, he was brought to Mondstadt as an orphan.  Orphans aren’t unusual—warriors leave their kids behind all the time, sadly—but that leaves the question of where his abilities come from.  He’s got a Pyro Vision, but that alone isn’t enough to explain how he healed Atea’s wound so cleanly.  Even I couldn’t do anything about it, and I’m the Pyro Archon.  Then again, this wouldn’t be the first time just being Pyro Archon wasn’t enough…

Nope, she wasn’t going there just yet.  Maybe in the future, when the Abyss wasn’t such a looming threat.

I asked Iansan, and she pointed out that if Tenoch really had some sort of extra idea, she probably would’ve told us, instead of keeping it hidden, especially if it involved a power that could completely heal people from the Abyss’ touch.  Is it something else?  Some old dragon-kin experiment?  I read that Kukulkan guy from Xbalanque’s time was a schemer in his personal records.  No, Bennett is human, unless he can secretly sprout wings and a tail.  I guess that leaves one other idea…Xbalanque himself.  His deal with Ronova thousands of years ago was special.  Maybe he left something for us?

Other than that, in Mavuika’s mind, Bennett was almost an anomaly.  An orphan, brought out from his homeland, raised in another Archon’s land entirely, before suddenly being thrown back home seemingly by fate’s fickleness.  Then, after arriving, some things just suddenly start getting better.  The idea seemed far-fetched—it could’ve been a trick of the light that Iansan saw, or all of their speculations could be wrong, and he was related to some other non-Natlanese power entirely, but either way, one thing was certain:

Bennett was an anomaly.  And Mavuika would be damned if she didn’t find out why.

-̷̦̟̄͗͑͜͝

̷͎̦̾-̴̧̛̟͖͕͖̀̐̓͗-̷̛̪̖̬͍̂͑̏-̷̻͈͎̉͆͗̚

̶̘͖̜̻̃̅̄-̷̞̬̝̜̻̆́͊-̷̛͕̻̪̔̔͆-̷̧͎͖̐̈̒-̶̘̥̮͌̆͛̓-̸̤͙̲̣̃

̸͎͕̝̟̗̌͊̕̕-̴̛̭̬̇͐̇̊͜-̴̟̜͇̘͉̎͐-̶͓̰̙̓̂

̴̬̄͝-̵̘̱̈́͑͌̀͗

?̸̳̥͉̖̟̭̔?̶̪̝̮͎̗͛?̸̟͍̟̘̮͌͛̓

̷̡̟̈́̄̏

In the wake of the attack, only violent winds and the ash blown around by it remained.  Along with a small, wailing bundle.  In the wake of “their” sacrifice, the young baby was left alone in a place not even time could reach.  In a sense, he had been truly abandoned by the world itself.

But this wouldn’t be the child’s end.  “He” would make sure of it.

The child’s cries quieted as the spirit knelt over him, long, red hair spilling over his shoulders from lack of care and from gods knows how long he had spent trapped in this place.  Then again, he arrived at this place willingly, so perhaps it was only fitting his spirit would be condemned to wander for trying to taper with the natural order again.

The body’s of the child’s family lay nearby, unmoving.  It was too late for them.  The spirit felt guilt and regret gnawing at his broken soul, knowing he had pulled them and their family into this place on the slight chance it would let him fulfill his ambition through the child.  The child, who had the misfortune of being born to bear his fragmented soul.

“I’m sorry.  To make you bear the consequences of my ambition…it’s too cruel.  At least I can do you one final service.”

Calling upon what remained of his weary soul, he drew it into the shape of an old tool: a blade in the shape of a feather, only made of fire, and not obsidian like it was when he lived.

“Take my blessing.  With it, I hope you grow strong.”

He held his concentrated soul over the infant’s heart, the lost blessing calling to reunite with its fragmented parts.

“I pray that someday, you can avenge them.”

Then, he let it fall into the child’s heart.  In the distance, a bird cried.

“Ö̷͖̻́͛̓̈́̾̂͝h̴̹̤̣͇̒͠,̶̳̬̥̙̼̈̅̃̕͜͝ ̶̟̦̩͎̟̖̃̀a̵̭̞̐͑̂̒̂͒ṅ̶̺̪̺̖͍͑̽̀͘d̸̡̰̋͂̈́ ̵̦̂̈͝͠͝i̸̞͔͐̆̄̌͜f̴̛̛͙̪̺͙̈́̍͝ ̴̢̨̨̤̣̫͌͌͠y̴̤̠̰̏̃͌̑̀o̵̫̣̹̐̂̀̓͒̚ͅư̶͔͇̤͋͆́͝ ̷̤̘̲̖͐̎̍̆ṣ̸̟̫̪͚̟́̀͆͘ȩ̸̛̛͎̝̺̰̜̏͊́̇̅͜e̴̱̺͑́͜ ̵̻͆͑͋͛̔͒h̴̢̨̲̲͙͇̯͒̌̊̍̋i̴̛̮͈̟̥̓́͗́ḿ̴̢̳̫̀͗̈́̾̚͠,̸͙̖̾̊̏ ̷͖̘͔̱͈̟̫͊̇͂̈́̿̋͗p̴̢̣͈̯̮̙̗͛̍̓͂ư̸̛͕̦͈̌͗̊̀n̵̙̫̾̎ç̶̦̱̂h̷̬͍̝̰͋̂̓̓́̒̕ ̶͍̯̪̗͔̊̏̏͑̄͋̚m̸͔͍̼͓͒̎ỹ̸̧̰͔̪͙̩͕ ̵̱͎͕̇̾̏̓̑͗b̶̭͖̙̜̜̎́̽́r̷̙͚̦͐̑͒͛̋̓ͅò̸̡̤̲͙͕̹̅̍̾̉ẗ̷̼̹͕̥̣̖̉̉̏̂̄h̸͎̺̰̮̻͓́̒͋̄͝͠ę̷͙̬̙̼͋̎̄̄r̵̡͔͇̹͒͑ ̴̨̡̻̜͓̳̈́̃̾̊̄̄̈́f̶͓̱̩̳̖̺̓̓ͅo̴̧͊̀̅̆̋͝r̸̬̞̖̽ ̶̡͇̹̌̀̌̚͘m̷̩̥͔͓̳̺̑̈͝ͅe̴̬̿̚,̴͈̗̭̥̰̦̠̄̓ ̸̬̗̯͕̃͆͂̒͗͠ẇ̶̢͗i̵̺͈͙̲̱̔̽̈́̊͠l̵̫͚̙͓̤̪̈l̵̛͕̯̓̑̀̋̄̄ ̴̠͚̖̈́̿̄̔̉̌͊y̵̝̘̹̋͛̍̋̊ō̴͓̪̄͌͑͘u̶̠͗͆̅̉?̵̛͓̪̪͓̭̚”

Chapter Text

“I pray that someday, you can avenge them.”

Bennett didn’t wake up gasping for air, but he certainly had to take a few moments to return to breathing normally.  He was staring up at an unfamiliar wooden ceiling, laying on a cot.  Turning his head—which caused his body to subtly ache—he saw that there were other beds and cots as well, spaced evenly apart, but lined to go wall to wall.

Taking a deep breath, Bennett slowly began to push himself up, his body aching and protesting from the ghosts of his wounds.  He looked down at his hands: callused, burned, and scarred.  Their usual state.  Running his hands across his arms, he didn’t find any new scars, but soon realized he wasn’t in his usual clothes; instead, he was wearing a plain tunic and pants, in a shade of green that reminded him of Kinich and Ajaw.  Wait…was this place-?

“Oh, you’re awake!” a sudden attendant said, drawing Bennett out of his thoughts.  “Let me go get the doctor, you’ve been asleep for a few days.”

“Wait, uh, where am I?” Bennett called out before the attendant dashed off.  And did he just say ‘a few days?’

“The Huitztlan.  This is an infirmary for warriors.”

“Oh.  How did I get here?”

The attendant’s faced fell a little.  “I’m not sure.  I wasn’t here when you came in, so you’ll have to ask the doctor.” Seeing Bennett’s confused, weary expression, the attendant tried to give their best comforting smile.  “Don’t worry, just get some rest.  You’ve been asleep for a while, so it’s normal if you’re still a bit tired.” With one last look of attempted comfort, the attendant walked away to fetch a doctor.

Alone, and with nothing else to do, Bennett laid back down on the cot, and waited.

Some moments later, a face that he recognized appeared.  “Nice to see you’re awake,” the familiar doctor said as she sat at his bedside on a stool.  “Can you get up by yourself, or do you need help?”

In response, Bennett sat himself up.  It felt much easier now that he was more awake and less confused.  Then, he turned to face the doctor, and said the main thing that was on his mind.  “You’re…Chuychu, right?  You were at the Stadium after we got back from the Night Kingdom.”

“That's right,” she promptly responded.  “Chasca’s sister.  Now, your wounds have all healed, but you lost a lot of blood by the time you were brought in.  I’ll be doing a quick check-up to see if you’re good to go, and that should be that.” With a stethoscope in hand, she began leaning towards Bennett.  “Now, try and breathe normally-”

“Wait, uh, how did I get here again?”

Chuychu looked surprised at that.  “Oh.  Did no one tell you?” Bennett shook his head.  “Oh, I see.  Well, a few days ago, a Scions patrol found Kachina trying to carry you to an outpost, and since it was closest, they brought you here to recover.  She said you managed to use your Vision to heal the injuries from both of you, but you lost a lot of blood due to Rifthound corrosion.  You’ve been asleep for a few days now.”

“A few days?” Bennett repeated, his voice slightly wavering.  Right…me and Kachina got attacked by Rifthounds, and we got hurt bad.  Wait.  “What about Kachina?  Is she okay?”

Chuychu nodded—thank Archons.  “Her injuries were light.  She said your healing managed to take care of the worst of it, but I gave her a check-up all the same.  Her exposure to Abyssal contamination was minor thanks to you.  She wanted to stay here to wait for you to wake up, but her parents heard what happened and came over to pick her up, so she’s back home at the Nanatzcayan.”

Bennett let himself sigh in relief.  “That’s good…”

“Mm hmm,” Chuychu hummed as she adjusted her stethoscope.  “Now, breathe normally and try not to move too much, I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs.”

Chuychu looked pleased as she packed up her doctor’s bag, replacing all of her tools.  “Well, it looks like you’re in perfectly good health.  No lingering Abyssal contamination I can detect, and your wounds are all healed.  Plus, it seems like you’re bouncing back pretty quickly from the blood loss,” she added as she watched Bennett pace back and forth in the small area around his cot, stretching muscles that were sore from days of disuse.  “I’d say you’ve made an exceptionally quick recovery for someone who was hurt to the degree you were.”

Bennett chuckled nervously at that.  “I’ve gotten hurt a lot from things just always going wrong, so I’m kind of used to it.  So I’m good to go?”

“All good!  Although I have to say, you seem to have a high resistance to the Abyss’ effects.  The first time I checked up on you, you didn’t have much Abyssal contamination on you, even though you were fighting for a while, and even now you’re still not that deeply effected by the Abyss.” Chuychu put a hand to her chin as she began to think a bit deeper.  “The only other people I’ve seen resist the Abyss to the same degree are the Traveler and the Pyro Archon…and Ancient Name bearers, but even the protections granted by the Wayob can only go so far.”

“I-Is that so?”

“It’s true.  Even missions into the Night Kingdom as brief as Kachina’s rescue can leave warriors with lingering Abyssal contamination.  The Wayob and the rest of the Night Kingdom help shield those with Ancient Names from some of the worst of it, thankfully, but the Abyss’ effects can be fatal if left untreated.  That’s why I’m surprised you seem to be relatively free of the Abyss’ effects.” Then, Chuychu leaned in a little bit to scrutinize him.  “I wonder why that is…”

Bennett chuckled nervously, trying to laugh off Chuychu’s interest.  “Just lucky, I guess.” I have no idea, went unsaid in his mind.  Also, I had this weird dream where a guy with red hair gave me his “blessing”, dunno if that means anything, also went unsaid.  Of all the odd dreams he’s had since arriving in Natlan, this latest definitely took the cake for the weirdest.  “A-Anyway, do you know what happened to my stuff?” Bennett asked in an attempt to change the conversation.

“Ohh…uh, about that,” Chuychu said a bit timidly as she reached under the cot and pulled out a small chest that Bennett hadn’t noticed before.  Placing it on the bed, she opened the simple wooden latch and lid, before carefully pulling out a handful of shredded cloth, and a few familiar accessories.  “Your clothes were so damaged from the fight, there wasn’t really much anyone could do without making it more stitches than cloth.  A few things survived, but that’s it.”

Bennett gently picked up the scraps of the outfit that he had worn for years.  His cream-colored vest was reduced to nothing more than a handful of scrap fabric, his navy blue shorts bearing a similar fate.  In fact, of all his clothing, only a few things survived relatively intact: his gloves (which would need some serious work before they could be called proper gloves again), the red bandana he kept around his right hand, and his goggles, which were cracked and bent, the leather strap totally unusable.  And of course, his Pyro Vision.  “Oh…” he mumbled as he felt the cracked lenses of his goggles.  “It’s fine.  I’m used to having to replace my clothes anyway.”

Chuychu looked sympathetic.  But soon, her expression turned lighter.  “Well, on the bright side, while you were asleep, someone agreed to give you some old clothing, so you’re not just stuck in those patient clothes.”

Before Bennett could ask who it was, a grating—but unmistakable—voice screeched from the infirmary doorway.  “Are you seriously forcing me along with your charity work!?  This is beneath a Dragonlord!”

“Shut it, Ajaw,” the Huitztlan’s famed Saurian Hunter cooly replied as he and his partner walked up to Bennett and Chuychu.  “Think of it as repaying a debt, if that helps you sleep at night.  Hello Bennett, Chuychu,” Kinich greeted as he switched gears.

“Kinich, right on time!  Bennett, have you met…?” Chuychu asked when she spotted what was unrecognizably recognition in Bennett’s eyes.

“Oh, for sure!  I met him and Mualani while hanging out with Kachina.  We even sparred a little!”

Kinich nodded along.  “That we did.  We spent some time afterward with the Meztli too, if that helps.”

“Oh, that’s nice!  Well, since it seems like you’re in good hands, I’ll get going.  I’ve got other patients to attend to.” Picking up her bag, Chuychu made for the entrance with a wave, leaving with one last, “See ya!”

That left Bennett alone with Kinich and Ajaw, the former of whom held out a stack of clothes towards Bennett.  “Here,” Kinich said as Bennett took the offered clothing, taking the topmost piece—a shirt—and letting it fall to look.  “These are some old clothes of mine.  They’re clean and in good condition, and since we’re of a similar build, they should fit.  Try them on and tell me if they don’t though, I should still have some other options at home.”

“I-I don’t think you need to go that far, Kinich,” Bennett quickly babbled out in reply.  “T-Thanks a lot, I really didn’t think you’d be the one to help.”

Kinich shrugged.  “Don’t think too much of it.  They’re just clothes I don’t wear any more anyway.”

“Ugh, hurry it up, you two,” Ajaw grumbled.  “Just put on the clothes already!”

One trip to the bathroom later…

The infirmary’s bathroom featured a tall, body height mirror, which was perfect for Bennett to examine himself in.  Kinich was right—the clothes fit well.  His cream-colored vest was replaced by a white t-shirt patterned with an orange left sleeve, some triangles going upward across the chest in the same color, along with a few blotches of yellow that resembled spilled paint.  Over that went a short, brown hooded vest with a yellow interior, with a small, flame like feather attached to a metal part on the upper chest.  Complimenting the top was a pair of long pants in a lake water blue color, not too dissimilar from his old navy blue shorts.  It was the pants that reminded Bennett the most that these were old clothes from Kinich’s wardrobe, with similar patterning on the legs and near the ends, which featured some metal bits sewn in.

With the main pieces of clothing on, that left the rest of what Kinich had given them.  Bennett would have to thank him again, because it also seemed that Kinich had left him a few accessories as well.  A yellow-orange patterned bandanna went around his head, partially filling the gap left by his usual goggles, along with a leather belt that featured some a few loops and hooks for other items, decorated with an orange, flame-patterned fabric that hung around his hips.  Then, some simple black socks to be worn under a pair of black and white hiking boots, finally leaving one last accessory—a dark, round container, made from a hard material.  It seemed to be a kind of travel bag—he vaguely remembered seeing a few members of the Scions carrying it on their lower backs—but as for putting it on, he couldn’t quite figure that out.  At the very least, there was a nice spot on one side that allowed him to secure his Pyro Vision with some of the leather straps wrapping around it.

With everything now on—except for the courier bag—Bennett was able to fully examine himself in the mirror.  Yup, Kinich was right; the clothes definitely fit.  And they made him look even more Natlanese than before.  Throughout his solo journey’s and the fight with the Rifthounds, the tattoos Kachina gave him remained, still noticeable, and in the right light, shining to life like he had seen on the others.  Out of curiosity, Bennett channeled a little bit of Pyro energy towards his head, and he watched with pleasant surprise as the invisible markings, normally only visible when combined with active Phlogiston or when under the right angle of light, briefly flickered—two triangles each under the lines on his cheekbones, and two parallel streaks on his jaw, one on each side.

Turning around in the mirror a little bit, Bennett looked at himself one last time before he stepped out of the bathroom.  Dang, I look good.  Remember to say thanks to Kinich!

“Finally!” Ajaw screeched as soon as his pixelated eyes were laid upon Bennett in his new clothes.  “Any longer and I thought I would have to come in there to drag you out!”

Kinich ignored the Dragonlord’s squawking to look Bennett up and down, drawing a slight blush to the adventurer’s cheeks.  “Hm, looks good.” Kinich finally remarked after a few moments of examination.  “How are they?  Does it fit well?”

“Yeah, it does!” Bennett replied warmly.  “Again, thanks.  I really didn’t think you’d be helping me like this, especially with everything else, like the shoes and the bandanna, the bag…it almost feels like I should be paying you for it all.”

Kinich shook his head and raised a dismissive hand.  “No need.  Just think of it as me repaying you for helping out Kachina during that fight.” Kinich examined Bennett one last time, noticing the courier’s bag that he was holding in one hand.  “Need help with the bag?  It’s probably not a very familiar type of travel bag for people outside Natlan.”

“A-Ah yeah, if you could…”

Some fiddling with the belt and the leather straps and loops later, and the bag was on, hanging from Bennett’s lower back.  “There we go.  That should be the full outfit.”

“Thanks.”

“By the way,” Kinich started.  “There’s one last thing I should give you.” Reaching into one of his hidden inner pockets, he pulled out a small Koholasaur fang, attached to a small piercing by a tiny length of chain.  “When Mualani heard what happened, she made this for you.  Since she’s busy dealing with guard duties today, she wanted me to give it to you.”

He dropped it into Bennett’s hand, who held it up in front of his face.  “Whoa, what is it?”

“An earring made from a Koholasaur fang.  Accessories made from Koholasaur fangs are pretty common among the Meztli, so Mualani wanted you to have one for good luck.” Then, a bit quietly, yet firmly, Kinich added on, “Make sure you say thanks when you see her again, she spent a while looking for the right sized tooth for it.”

“Yeah, of course!  But… I don’t have piercings?”

Kinich huffed out a small puff that sounded amused.  “Do you have any plans?”

“Oh, uh, not really, other than going back to see Kachina.”

“Then I’ll take you to get it pierced.  I might as well show you around town while you’re here.” Kinich began to walk towards the door of the infirmary, Ajaw quietly—odd—trailing behind him, and Bennett beginning to follow.  “C’mon.”

---

As soon as the three of them stepped out of the infirmary, they were greeted with the hustle and bustle of Huitztlan.  Couriers came and went, flying in with grappling hooks, sometimes with the help of their Yumkasaurus companions, ferrying messages and packages from all over Natlan.  In addition to the couriers, groups of warrior-scouts seemed to be mobilizing, gathered near spread out maps, marking out areas.

“Is it normally this busy around here?” Bennett asked after a few minutes of walking in relative quiet.

“Sometimes,” Kinich replied with a shrug.  “But today could be said to be an especially busy day.  The Abyss is getting bolder these days, so more patrols and messages need to be sent out.”

The Abyss…The thought of the Abyss and its monsters reminded Bennett of why he had so fortuitously been brought to the Huitztlan.  Claws and fangs had bitten and torn at him, trying to pull him apart…

Bennett shook his head.  It’s over now.  I survived.  “So uh,” Bennett started, realizing that a small silence had fallen over them, even as he continued to follow Kinich’s lead.  “The Abyss…you said it’s been getting bolder?”

The Hunter nodded.  “Let’s just say that some recent developments have given the Abyss a good kick.  They’re trying to stop us now, before things can finally come together.  In the meantime, we have to be on our guard for their attacks.”

“Oh…that sounds rough.”

Kinich just shrugged.  “It’s just how things have been in Natlan for the past 500 years.  The Abyss attacks, we fight back, it goes on and on.  It’s not just the Night Warden wars, either, the Abyss often launches surprise assaults on our towns and outposts to try and wear us down.  There have been reports of groups of Abyssal monsters prowling the less populated areas of Natlan, so everyone is on their guard in case they launch an attack.”

“Yeah, so you better not be caught lacking!” Ajaw taunted as he floated near Bennett’s face.  But as soon as Bennett narrowed his eyes at him, the Dragonlord backed off, returning to his spot next to Kinich.  “You little brat…” the Dragonlord grumbled under his breath.

Not long after that, they arrived at their destination: a stall in the market underbelly of the hanging Huitztlan settlement, manned by a woman dressed in the orange and yellow clothing of the Children of Echoes.  With a magnifying glass in hand, she inspected her wares meticulously, which seemed to primarily consist of jewelry.  “Kinich!  Here to buy another gift for Mualani?” The stall owner exclaimed once she noticed their presence.

Kinich covered a cough and a blush with a hand, and—ignoring the smirks and snickers of Ajaw and Bennett—stated his request.  “N-No, nothing like that.  Mualani made a Koholasaur fang earring for a friend, so he’ll need to get his ears pierced first.  We can return later if you’re busy.” Rummaging through the pants pockets of his new clothes, Bennett pulled out the earring in question.

“Oh no, it’s no problem at all!” The stall owner walked around the side of her stall to inspect the earring, plucking it from Bennett’s outstretched hand.  “Well, this is nice.  I can tell this is Mualani’s work.  You’re the one who needs the piercing done, right?” she said to Bennett.  He nodded.  “Great!  Now, just sit down here and we can get started.”

The process was prompt, quick, and professional.  Once he had gotten himself comfortable on the stool, she asked for which ear—he decided to go for right—which she cleaned with some liquid that smelled strongly of ethanol, before pulling out a clamp looking device with a thin, hollow needle.  Then, the holding stud and the rest of the earring put into the right spots, she placed it over his earlobe—in one quick motion, with a *click* and a pinching feeling, it was on.

“All done!” The artisan announced as she began cleaning her tools.  “Make sure to leave it in for a few days while it heals, otherwise it’ll heal over, and you’ll have to get it re-pierced again.  Oh, and make sure it stays clean too, don’t want any infections either.”

As Bennett gave his affirmation and thanks, Ajaw muttered under his breath, “I wouldn’t mind if you got sick…”

“Shut it, Ajaw.” Kinich flicked Ajaw across the face, causing the Dragonlord to start sputtering and grumbling angrily.  “Why not go and buy some snacks for yourself if you’re not going to be helpful, hm?”

Without another word, Ajaw flew off—again, odd—leaving Kinich and Bennett alone as they walked away from the jeweler’s stall (the relatively simple service was free of charge).  “He…doesn’t seem to like me, huh?” Bennett remarked after a few moments of quiet walking.  “What’s up with him?”

Kinich just shrugged.  “Not sure.  That reminds me, there’s one thing that happened during the party we didn’t mention.” Bennett raised an eyebrow.  “While you were out of it, Ajaw saw something weird and flew off in a panic.  I tried asking him about it later, but he refused to give a solid answer.  All he said was that he saw ‘a bastard foe from an old age.’  That was all he said, and he hasn’t brought it up since.”

“Oh…” was all Bennett could say.  That man with red hair…he definitely seemed old, but that old?

“That ringing any bells?” Kinich remarked, evidently reading Bennett’s face.

“Uh, kinda…” Bennett answered hesitantly.  He looked around—their wandering around the Huitztlan had brought them to a secluded area near the edge of the main platform, not directly in sight and relatively away from the crowds of couriers and warriors running about.  “I’ve been having these dreams for a while now…”

“Dreams?”

Bennett groaned, rubbing his forehead.  “I-I know it sounds crazy, but they’ve been going on for a while now.  When I first got to the Children of Echoes with Kachina, she showed me around, and eventually we got to the Wayob totem.  I…don’t really remember it well, but Kachina said I went into some sort of trance, and when I touched it, I reacted like I got shocked.  After that, I’ve started having these dreams about people I don’t know.”

Kinich looked intrigued, but refrained from interjecting, only giving a curious, “Go on.”

“They’re…weird.  At first, they were of this old looking warrior with red hair, but after that party, I also started having dreams of a Natlanese adventuring team, and the thing that confuses me the most is that I feel I should know them, but I don’t!” It was good Kinich and Bennett were hidden away from the rest of the tribe, because Bennett was starting to get louder and more incensed.  “Even in the dreams where the old man is talking to me, he never makes any sense!  He just keeps apologizing for something he apparently did to me, and then the dream ends before I can try to say anything.  It’s…really annoying.”

As Bennett began to take deep breaths to calm himself, Kinich hummed as he held a hand to his chin, thinking.  That sounds a lot like what happened when I awakened my Ancient Name.  The dreams…they’re not just dreams, are they?  He remembered it well.  In the darkness of his room, not long after he gained his Dendro Vision and came to understand the full meaning of the name, “Malipo”, Burkina had appeared in spirit.  He gained the warrior’s memories and knowledge, and knew from that day forward of their Archon’s plan to save Natlan.  But there’s only six heroes, seven if you include Mavuika.  There couldn’t be a secret hero nobody was told of…right?

“I’m wondering if, maybe…he actually is from Natlan?”

Mualani’s words suddenly didn’t sound like speculation anymore.  In fact, the more Kinich thought about it, the more certain he was that it was true.  It was the only explanation for everything: Bennett’s sudden luck turnaround, his ability to heal Atea, his seemingly extraordinary ability to bounce back from harm, even against the Abyss (Chuychu had offhandedly mentioned it while negotiating the clothes issue), and now, visions and dreams.  It just made too much sense.  But what did it mean?

“Kinich?  Is something wrong?  Sorry I kinda dumped that on you just now, it’s just been going on for a while now and I haven’t really been able to tell anyone about it without feeling like it would make me sound crazy or something…” Bennett began rambling, but Kinich cut him off with a raised hand.

“It’s nothing, I was just thinking.  These dreams, they started after you touched a Wayob totem, correct?”

“Huh?  Y-Yeah, they did.” There was a pause as Kinich’s words registered in Bennett’s mind.  “W-Wait, do you know something!?” he asked eagerly.

“Not exactly.  It's more akin to speculation right now, but it does sound similar to something I’ve gone through myself, although I’m not sure if it’s right for me to tell you in full detail.’

“Huh?  How come?” Bennett sounded disappointed.

“Well, it’s related to something the Pyro Archon wants to keep secret.” Kinich paused to think for a moment again.  “Perhaps you should talk to Mavuika—she of all people should have an idea of what they mean-”

A roaring sound from outside the Huitztlan settlement suddenly drowned out their conversation, even louder than the bustle of the village that had acted as background noise up until then.  The noise was followed by the sounds of a commotion near the more populated areas, and with a shared look, Kinich and Bennett moved to investigate.

The two soon saw what was currently happening; numerous Huitztlan tribespeople were gathered near the edges of the platform, looking at the source of the roaring noise, which was rapidly getting louder.  Then, a shape flew straight up towards the sky, casting a shadow as it passed briefly over the sun before crashing down on the main platform with the squeak and smell of burned rubber.  A Huitztlan tribesman wearing round, yellow sunglasses seemed the most surprised out of everyone present at the new arrival.  “Pyro Archon!  What brings you here?”

After a moment, it registered in Bennett’s mind that the “new arrival” was, in fact, a familiar woman with fiery red hair, riding some sort of specialized two-wheeled vehicle.  “Nice to see ya, Wayna.  And nothing much, I’m just trying to look for someone right now.”

From off to the side, where Kinich and Bennett were standing, relatively ignored standing behind a few straggler groups, they watched.  “Speak of the devil and they shall appear…” Kinich muttered.

“Oh?  Who is it you’re looking for?  I might be able to pull together a search party if you need.”

Mavuika shook her head.  “No, it’s alright.  I’m quite sure they’re somewhere around here, if the latest news I’ve heard are still fresh.” Mavuika paused for a moment to glance at the present crowd, but only very briefly before she returned to answering Wayna’s question.  “I’m looking for a young man around Kinich’s age, maybe younger by a few years, around the same height as him too.  He’s got ashen-hair and green eyes, does that ring a bell?  Pyro Vision too.”

“Hmm?  Yeah, I think I know who you’re talking about,” Wayna responded with a nod.  “He was brought into the infirmary a few days ago after surviving a Rifthound attack alongside Kachina.  I heard he was cleared by Chuychu just a few hours ago.  Don’t know if he’s still here.”

As the conversation between the chieftain and Pyro Archon continued, Bennett not-so-subtly leaned towards Kinich, murmuring, “I-Is she talking about me?”

“Sounds like it,” Kinich said back quietly.  “I can only think of one other person with gray hair and green eyes, and they’re an Electro wielding coach suffering from dwarfism.” A pause, then Kinich not-so-subtly pushed him forward.  “This is your chance.  Go see what she’s looking for.”

Put on the spot, Bennett suddenly found himself feeling a bit daunted.  “R-Right now, in front of everyone-?”

“Oh, hurry it up!” The voice of the 8-bit Dragonlord suddenly screeched—Ajaw, it seemed, had returned from his snack run.  Just as suddenly, Bennett found himself being shoved forward, nearly landing face first against the hard wood floor as a few people stared—landing right in front of Mavuika.

Well, now he was definitely on the spot.  The multitude of people who had witnessed Mavuika’s flaming entrance on her motorcycle were now staring at Bennett, who was stupidly looking up from the floor at Mavuika like it was the first time he was meeting her again.  But with a smile, those worries were washed away by the Pyro Archon herself, as the target of her search had so fortuitously landed at her feet.  “Hey there kiddo!  You got time right now?”

“Huh?  Y-Yeah, I do.”

“Great!” Producing an extra helmet and placing her own back on, Mavuika revved the engine of the Flamestrider.  “Hop on, there’s something I want to talk about!”

Chapter Text

After Mavuika finally stopped, Bennett stumbled off the Flamestrider on wobbly legs, before flopping onto the ground.  As soon as Bennett had put on the helmet and got himself situated holding onto the Pyro Archon, she rode—or rather, flew—off.  Everything after that passed in a blur of flame and sheer speed.  Between the many jumps, flights, and turns, it finally registered in Bennett’s scrambled brain that Mavuika had brought him to an isolated part of Teticpac Peak, just atop Coatepec Mountain.

Mavuika laughed, seeing Bennett splayed out like a starfish.  “Don’t worry, a lot of people usually feel like that after their first time on the Flamestrider with me.  How are you feeling, kid?”

“Like I just let Barbatos take the reins…” he mumbled as he covered his eyes.  It felt like everything was spinning now…

“Haha!  That’s one way to put it,” Mavuika said as she returned her helmets to her little pocket space.  “I was also asking how you were feeling overall.  I heard the news a few days ago—you and Kachina were ambushed by Riftwolves, and they had to bring you to the Huitztlan.  Are your injuries healed?”

“Yeah,” Bennett replied with a groan as he finally sat himself up.  At the very least, he should look the Pyro Archon in the eye.  “Miss Chuychu cleared me this morning.”

“That’s good, that’s good,” Mavuika said, relieved.

“A-Anyway, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?” Bennett asked, remembering what she had said before taking him on a joyride.

“Right down to business, huh?” Leaning against the Flamestrider, Mavuika began.  “Well, I’ve actually been looking for you for a while now.”

“Y-You have?”

“Indeed.  But every time I heard about where you were, you were gone to the next place! You made it quite the challenge for me.”

“O-Oh, uh, sorry?”

Mavuika chuckled.  “Don’t be, it’s honestly impressive how quickly you’ve been getting around Natlan.” A pause, as Mavuika remembered what Aether had said about Bennett—that he was trustworthy and good-natured.  “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something important.  Back when the Traveler and the others found you in the Night Kingdom, do you remember seeing the spirit of a giant, named Tupac?”

Bennett thought for a moment.  Right…the others helped purify that Wayob totem, and then after defeating that Abyss Lector, Mualani’s Ancient Name glowed, and that spirit appeared.  “I do.  I kinda forgot about it, but yeah, I remember it now.  It appeared after Mualani and Kachina dealt with an Abyssal monster, then they talked about something, and something seemed to happen with Mualani.”

“Good.  I want to talk to you because… I—we, need help.”

“You need help?” Mavuika nodded, and Bennett felt a sense of foreboding.  The Pyro Archon needed help?

“I know, I’m the Pyro Archon and all, but this is something that’s beyond even me.  Heck, it might even be beyond all of Natlan itself, if things don’t go right.  For that, I want your help in making sure Natlan survives to the future.  Would you be willing to hear me out?”

That sense of foreboding returned, but to such an earnest ask, Bennett couldn’t say no.  “How can I help?”

And so, Mavuika began to talk.  Of a plan, formed 500 years ago during Teyvat’s darkest times, formed by a newly ascended Pyro Archon and seven companions.  Those seven gave their lives to protect their home, and the Pyro Archon was left alone to bear the burden of the future.  But now, 500 years later, the spirits of those seven companions began to re-emerge, and the pieces of their plan began to fall into place.  They were so close, and yet…

“Right now, four of the six heroes have awakened their Ancient Names.  We’re still waiting on two more, but until then, the Abyss’ efforts to destroy Natlan have been ramping up.  It knows we’re close to victory, so it's trying to snuff us out now, when we’re still waiting.” Mavuika paused to observe Bennett.  His face was relatively impassive, but she could tell in his eyes that he was absorbing it well.  He was a good listener; throughout her spiel he had largely stayed quiet, but a slight narrowing of the eyes here and a squeezed fist there told Mavuika all she needed to know about how he was beginning to feel.  Now it was just the matter of confirming these feelings.  “That’s why I would like your help, Bennett.”

“Me?  But, I’m just one guy.”

Mavuika immediately fired back with a smile.  “One guy who’s already showed a lot of promise in a month here.  Do you remember Atea?  From the People of the Springs?”

“I remember her,” Bennett replied, smiling at the warm memories—both emotionally and literally.  “How is she?  I think Mualani mentioned something about her being sick, or injured, at one point.”

“She’s doing great, actually.  And I think that’s thanks to you.” Mavuika snickered seeing the immediate confusion on Bennett’s face.  “I’m not sure if anyone has quite told you this, but years back, Atea was seriously injured by a monster from the Abyss.  Doctors managed to save her life, but the wound was so deep, it left Abyssal residue in her body, which meant her fighting days were over.  In fact, her days as a whole were limited…”

“W-Wait, it was that bad?” Mavuika nodded.  “Oh, Archons…” Crap, now it makes sense, why she suddenly wanted to fight me—she wanted one last fight…

“But then you and Atea had that fight, and now she’s back to throwing people around like her injury never happened.” Mavuika leaned toward Bennett.  “You changed her fate.  When I went to visit her, she told me that her injury doesn’t hurt anymore, and it’s because of you, Bennett.” When Bennett simply stared, eyes wide, Mavuika took it as a sign to continue.  “I don’t know if you even know it yourself, Bennett, but you’ve got a strength hidden deep within you that I think we could all use in the upcoming battles against the Abyss.” Mavuika looked toward the sun; it was bright and strong, but experience taught her the hard way that even its light wasn’t eternal, not when the Abyss threatened to swallow the lands whole.  Then, she held out a hand towards Bennett.  “Please.  Join us.  We need all the help we can get.”

Switching her attention slightly, Mavuika activated her Elemental Vision.  Vision wielders all had it, but for some people—such as higher beings and mystics—they could see more than most, and Mavuika was no exception.  With her special sight, she saw a direct glimpse of what she had sensed within Bennett when they had first met, already a little more than a month ago.  That dying coal that she had sensed within him had changed; instead, a small, kindling flame sat in his heart, revived, ignited, and ready to burst into a great, passionate blaze.  All it needed was a push.

That burgeoning flame briefly flared with passion as Bennett wore a serious look.  He turned away, looking out over Teticpac Peak, where Natlan was laid open to see.  Rolling hills, sharp, painted cliffs, lush valleys, vibrant beaches, floating wonders, and even sites of volcanic activity stretched across the horizon.  Whenever Mavuika saw Natlan’s beauty like this, she felt reassurance at her decision.  She’d weather another 500 years of loneliness in that empty, dust filled plain if it meant saving Natlan.  For many moments, Mavuika and Bennett were quiet, basking in the sight of Natlan in its entirety.  In his eyes, a new resolve began to shine.

“Y’know, when I fell in that hole and ended up in the Night Kingdom, I figured it was just another streak of bad luck,” Bennett said quietly, his gaze still drawn towards the land.  “But after being here for…what, a month?  I’m starting to think maybe it wasn’t bad luck.  I’ve met a lot of amazing people here, ate a lot of good food, had a great time at a party, explored Natlan up and down, seen so many amazing things…Mondstadt is where I was raised, and I’ll always call it home—nothing will change that.  But,” Bennett mumbled, his gaze shifting towards the sky.  “I think I can call Natlan home too.  It definitely feels like I’ve made one here…”

A smile gently blossomed on Mavuika's face.  “Is that a yes?”

When Bennett and Mavuika met eyes again, it was almost like no words needed to be spoken.

“Of course.”

---

After that, Mavuika offered to give him a ride back to wherever he was planning to go.  Seeing no reason why not—he wanted to head back to the Nanatzcayan to make sure Kachina was okay anyway—Bennett said yes.  But before he hopped back on the Flamestrider, Bennett remembered what Kinich had said to him before Ajaw unceremoniously shoved him in front of Mavuika.  “Oh, uh, Miss Pyro Archon-”

“Just Mavuika is fine.”

“R-Right, Mavuika.  Um, have you ever had weird dreams?”

“Dreams?” Mavuika repeated with a raised brow.  “What kind of weird?”

“Like…seeing people you feel like you should know, but never met.” When Mavuika’s brow went higher, Bennett realized with a bit of a sinking feeling that he would have to just tell her everything outright.  “Okay, well, I’ve been having these dreams for a while now.  They’re always of people I don’t know, but every time, I feel like I should know them.  There’s this one person that appears in them that confuses me the most.”

Mavuika unmounted from the Flamestrider to lean against it again, while her expression became inquisitive.  “How long have you been having these dreams for?”

“About a month?  After that party a while back, I ended up going with Kachina to the Nanatzcayan, and she showed me around.  Eventually, she showed me their Wayob totem, and she said I went into a trance until I touched it.  After that, I suddenly felt really tired, and when I went to sleep that night, I had this really weird dream.”

“What did you see?” the Pyro Archon asked.

Bennett thought back to the morning after the first dream, when he was first confused by the dreams.  It was already around a month ago now, but it was still in his memory like it was yesterday.  “In my first dream, I was in a sea of lava.  I was surrounded by fire everywhere, but for some reason, I wasn’t being burned—it was hot, but it didn’t hurt or bother me like it should’ve.  Then there was this man, just standing there.  The first dream ended before I could see him very well, but he keeps reappearing whenever I dream…”

Bennett didn’t think Mavuika’s brow could go any higher, but it did, somehow.  “The people in your dream, what do they look like?” she asked patiently.

“Well, sometimes, I see this Natlanese adventure team, two women and two men, and…a baby.  One of the men is from the Collective, and the other is from the Flower-Feather Clan.  The women in the dream, one of them is from the Night-Wind, and the other is from the Springs.  I think the people from the Collective and the Night-Wind are the baby’s parents, because they’re always the ones holding them.” One big family, Bennett tacked on in his head.

“And…the other?”

Bennett averted his eyes from Mavuika a little upon recalling that man’s appearance.  “I…don’t see his face, but I know he’s a warrior.  He’s wearing this old mask made from a skull, and he’s always giving off this feeling of old strength.  He’s always trying to apologize to me for some reason, saying something about making me ‘bear the consequence of his ambition,’” he said slowly, putting air-quotes around the warrior’s words.  “Oh, and uh…” Bennett glanced at Mavuika and her long red hair, as bright as a flame.  “He has long red hair.  That’s the main thing I remember about him.”

“Long red hair?  Like…” Mavuika lifted a few locks of her own hair.

“Y-Yeah, almost like yours!  Only a bit duller…” Bennett exclaimed, his enthusiasm quickly dying down at the odd expression that Mavuika suddenly had.  It looked like a cross between being perturbed at some truth and being even more confused at it.  “I-Is um…is red hair a Pyro Archon thing?”

Mavuika shook her head after a moment.  “N-No, not always.  It’s not unusual for Pyro Archons to have red hair—Xbalanque, the first Pyro Archon, was recorded always having red hair, although not too many written records that are fully factual survive from that era.  Otherwise, the only thing that’s consistent between Pyro Archons are red eyes with suns.  Like mine, see?” Mavuika leaned forward, a finger pointed towards her eyes.  Indeed, they were sun-shaped.  Aside from the red hair and the…unique fashion choices, it was probably the most striking thing Bennett found about the woman.  “Red eyes and red hair happened to run in my family, so I was born looking like this, but when someone becomes Pyro Archon, their eyes change to look like this.  It’s something that comes with the position.”

“I…see.”

“Is there anything else you remember about this man in your dreams, Bennett?” Mavuika inquired after some contemplation.

After a few moments of thinking, Bennett eventually shook his head.  “N-No, that’s all I really remember about him,” he said, before remembering what Kinich had said earlier.  “Do you have an idea, Miss Mavuika?  I was talking to Kinich earlier, and he said you might have an idea.”

“Somewhat.” Seeing Bennett’s confusion, she elaborated.  “These dreams you’ve been having, they sound similar to the experiences of those who have awakened their Ancient Names so far.  When that happens, they usually gain an influx of new memories and knowledge from those who came before so they know what their role in my plan is.  But I can’t think of anyone who fits the description you’ve given—the only conclusion I can draw right now is that whoever is appearing in your dreams isn’t related to the plan involving the Six Heroes.” Eventually, Mavuika shrugged with a defeated sigh.  “I hate to admit it, but I don’t know.  I might have to consult the records to look for any clues of this old warrior you’ve been dreaming about—otherwise, there’s not too much to go off of.  Have you visited the Masters of the Night-Wind?  They specialize in shaman arts and communicating with the Wayob.  If you have the time, you should visit them.  They might be able to give you some answers.”

---

After their inconclusive last talk, Bennett and Mavuika mounted up on the Flamestrider, and in another blur of flame, and rushing winds—and the general feeling that people should not be going so fast so suddenly—Bennett found himself standing alone at the Statue of the Seven outside the Nanatzcayan, Mavuika having waved him goodbye before speeding off.

Dusting himself off, Bennett began the walk down the stairs leading down into the familiar ravine where the Children of Echoes settlement sat, nestled deep in the earth’s breast.  First stop, Kachina’s family’s home.  She must’ve been worried sick.

As Bennett began tracing back the familiar path, a few people who had grown acquainted with the presence of the ashen-haired youth in their village waved, a few even calling out to him and asking if he had recovered well.  To that, Bennett gave one of his usual smiles, or even his classic thumbs up in reassurance.  But to be honest, after the whole talk with Mavuika, he just wanted to find Kachina and lay down again.  Thankfully, he didn’t need to go too far.

As Bennett neared the carved stone building that he came to recognize as Xilonen’s workshop, he began catching snippets of conversation.  “It’s ready,” a mature voice spoke.  “How is it?  Think it could handle his strength?”

“It looks amazing!  Thank you so much for doing this for me, big sis Xilonen!” A warm, familiar voice gushed.

The elder of the two chuckled.  “You did some work too, gathering all those materials for me.”

The conversation quieted, and the familiar voice became more reserved.  “...I hope he comes home soon.”

“Don’t worry,” the elder craftswoman said.  “I might not know him as well as you, but if he’s anything like our Pyro Archon, he’s probably already bouncing back right now.”

Eventually, Bennett decided that was enough eavesdropping, and finally rounded the corner, into the full view of the open area of Xilonen’s workshop—to where Kachina and Xilonen were standing together.  “B-Bennett, you’re back!” Kachina squeaked as she hid a long object behind her back—and failing, due to its length.  Just above her fluffy ears, Bennett could see the pointed tip of a blade.  Kachina’s surprise turned to realization, and suddenly, tears were welling in her eyes.  “Y-You’re back…”

Bennett let out a loud, “Oof!” as he was practically tackled to the ground by the girl, who squeezed him tight around the middle.  Behind her, Xilonen smiled, the new blade in hand after catching it before it could hit the ground.  Kachina sniffed loudly, pulling Bennett’s attention back to the girl hugging him.  With an ungloved hand—scarred, burned, and ugly—he pat her back as he returned the embrace.  “Hey, Kachina.  I’m back.”

After a nice long hug, Kachina eventually let go, sniffing and wiping her tears away.  “I-I was really scared, when you collapsed…” she sniffled.  “I-I’m really glad you’re okay!”

Bennett smiled in return.  “I’m glad you’re okay too.  You weren’t hurt too bad?”

Kachina shook her head.  “Not as badly as you.  I-I almost thought you weren’t going to make it…” Kachina started sniffling again, prompting Xilonen to step forward and give the girl some head pats.

“Well, he’s here now, so all’s better now, right?” Xilonen said soothingly.  “And now that he’s here, do you want to do the honors, Kachina, or should I?”

“O-Oh, that’s right!” Jumping out of her teary daze, Kachina quickly wiped up her face before giving a ‘go-ahead’ motion to Xilonen.

With a small smile, the craftswoman stepped forward, and Bennett got a full view of Xilonen’s latest project.  “When she came back, Kachina had the pieces of your old sword.  She said it got snapped in two when a Rifthound caught it in its jaws,” Xilonen started.

Oh, that explains why my sword wasn’t with the rest of my stuff…well, not like it was of much use anymore…

“Kachina wanted to do something for you when you were better, so she asked me for a favor.  This is the product of that favor.” Presented in her hands was a sword—a beautiful sword.  Compared to his old Traveler’s Handy Sword, it was a lot longer, wider, and thicker, almost akin to a greatsword or a claymore.  That certainly explained why Kachina failed to hide it behind her back.  “It incorporates Natlanese weapon elements along with a Mondstadtian style blade,” Xilonen continued to explain.  Compared to the deep black and red of his previous Traveler’s Handy Sword, the new blade presented by Xilonen was a more uniform dark color—but with a slight turn, it gleamed with a dark, yet striking shine.  “It’s made of obsidian.  Obsidian makes for incredibly sharp blades when thin, but it’s normally too brittle to be made into larger weapons.  But here in Natlan, we’ve got our ways of making obsidian weapons as tough as any made of forged steel.  Here, take it.”

With the new sword proffered to him, Bennett took it carefully, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hands.  The ‘Mondstadtian style blade’ was a single-sided and largely straight edged type, save for the end where it tapered into a point in the style of the ‘Großes Messer’ type swords some people in Mondstadt used.  The handle and guard, meanwhile, were largely Natlanese in design.  A hand guard in the shape of a silvery bar went from one end of the handle to the other, which was made of a dark material dotted with triangular patterns, and long enough that using the new sword with two hands was equally viable as with one.  It wasn’t too dissimilar to the hand-and-a-half swords Bennett saw in the hands of many Knights of Favonius—although something about the handle and guard’s shape and color was oddly familiar.  Gripping the sword tightly, Bennett turned away to take a few experimental swings—a bit weightier than the swords he was familiar with, but light for its size, and very well-balanced.  “Wow…”

“That’s not all,” Xilonen said with a thinly veiled note of pride.  “While I was thinking of how to make the handle, I happened to find some spare parts from all the modifications and repairs I’ve had to do on Mavuika’s motorcycle over the years, and I had an idea.  Try channeling Pyro through it.”

Seeing Xilonen’s expectant expression and the excited gleam in Kachina’s eyes, Bennett obliged.  Channeling Pyro into his sword was a familiar motion; it was the main way he fought, after all!  But this time, as he called upon those familiar reserves of elemental energy, it felt a bit different—easier, somehow.  So, he tried channeling even more Pyro into the blade.  With a roar, the blade suddenly burst to life, Pyro pouring out of what looked like channels and ports built into the blade’s hilt, and all along the sword’s blunt back-edge.  “Whoa!  How did…”

Xilonen let out a huff of pride.  “The handle and guard are made from leftover parts of Mavuika’s Flamestrider.  The Flamestrider works by channeling the power of Phlogiston, but Mavuika uses her own authority over Pyro to give it a boost.  Since you’ve got quite a bit of Pyro yourself, I figured the same system could be translated into something you could use to boost your sword even further.  Why not give it a shot?” Bennett and Kachina looked oddly at Xilonen, then at what was behind her.  Swiveling her head around, Xilonen quickly saw the problem.  “Oh, uh, maybe not right here, where all my stuff is…”

Relocating to a large empty area at the bottom of the ravine, Bennett was free to test out his new sword and its features, while Kachina and Xilonen observed from the side.  With its different weight and its boost system channeling Pyro, it almost felt like the sword was pulling Bennett along, and not the other way around.  More than once, Bennett’s Pyro energy would surge, causing a burst of extra power in his sword, sending him spinning out of control.  The effects on some of the surrounding stone, though, spoke for itself—the obsidian sword’s supercharged edge carved searing lacerations into surrounding boulders and stone walls unfortunate enough to be caught in the way of Bennett’s discharges.

Ever quick to learn new skills, Bennett began to get more of a feel for the sword as time went on, learning that gripping it a certain way helped in controlling the more violent bursts of speed and power, or that the silvery bar forming the hand-guard could be squeezed in an emergency to shut off all flow of energy.  By the time Xilonen suggested packing it up and grabbing a bite before the sun went all the way down, Bennett had begun re-practicing fine control over his Pyro energy.  With that in mind, he had begun acting out some potential new moves, such as a flaming lunge-thrust that saw him streaking meters forward like a flaming bullet.

“Wow…” Bennett said breathlessly.  “T-Thank you so much for making this, Miss Xilonen—this sword is amazing!”

Xilonen nonchalantly shrugged with a smile.  “You should be thanking Kachina.  She agreed to gather all the materials if I forged you a new sword.  I don’t think I’ve seen her work so hard mining before.”

Kachina looked bashful.  “I-I mean, you still made it at the end of the day, big sis Xilonen…”

But Bennett simply smiled, and drawing near, hugged Kachina.  “Thank you, Kachina.  I love it.”

She hugged back.  For several moments, the two simply held each other like that, no further words needed to be said.  Eventually, they pulled apart, and with the moment over, a question from the back of Bennett’s mind came to the tongue.  “Oh yeah, what happened to the pieces of my old sword?  I don’t think anyone mentioned that…”

“Oh, it must’ve slipped my mind earlier,” Xilonen started, suddenly feeling a bit silly.  “Not sure if you noticed it, Bennett, but when light reflects off the obsidian, do you see any colors?” At her prompting, Bennett turned the obsidian sword, and in the fading sunlight filtering through the ravine roof, he was able to examine the blade’s colors.  The blade itself was a dark, steel gray, akin to the color of charcoal or obsidian itself, albeit a bit lighter.  There was, however, an underlying red shine to it.  It seemed…familiar?  “Y’see, one idea Kachina came up with for the blade was to use the old one for material.  So while the blade is mostly made out of obsidian, the remnants of your old sword were used for reinforcement in the strengthening process.”

Kachina blushed a little, scratching the back of her head.  “I thought it would be nice if the parts of your old sword were used to make the new one.  That way, it’s like it’s taken on a new form, if that makes sense?”

“Well, that’s certainly one way to look at it,” Xilonen chuckled.  “It ended up being good material in the end.  I can see why that sword was with you for so long.”

Bennett ran a hand down the blade, a new sense of understanding for its construction now in mind.  “Yeah…my dad’s got it for me a long time ago.  I guess this way it’s still with me.”

Kachina and Xilonen shared a smile at the success of their idea.  “Well, how about we go get dinner?  Whoever gets there last pays!” Without any extra fanfare, Kachina hopped on her Turbo Twirly and raced off.

“Oh you’re on!” Bennett laughed as he activated his pseudo Nightsoul state, leaving a few fading fiery footsteps in his wake.  With a roll of her eyes, Xilonen quickly followed behind on her rollerskates.

Regardless of whoever made it to the favored restaurant for the night first, all three could agree that the meal was great.  Bennett in particular was happy.  Even in spite of the day’s events with Mavuika’s talk, the inconclusiveness of determining what his dreams meant, and his promise to fight for Natlan, Bennett knew he would be able to weather it.

As while the road can be walked alone, friends are certainly great to have along the way.