Driftwood - Genshin Impact Xiao X Reader

8 - Abyss mages

Beidou used her foot to move the chair away from the table before she plopped herself down, glad to be off her feet for a few hours while her ship was stocked up for another voyage out to sea.

From her seat she could overlooked her ship rocking gently in the harbour, watching as boxes and crates were stacked nearby, and watching as her crew took the chance to rest and stretch their weary sea legs.

With a long sigh, she brought her drink to her lips.

A hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her from moving her hand. She glanced up to the owner of the hand, seeing a young man with a stern face looking down at her "can I help you?" she asked, unphased.

"Have you seen them?" he asked.

She frowned "who?"

"Tsk, I had hoped you wouldn't forget those you lost at sea" he muttered, releasing her wrist.

Beidous eyes widened, the chair clattering as she shot to her feet "they're alive?" Xiao nodded "I thought they had drowned at sea . . all this time, they were alive. Are they okay?" guilt washed through her as she realised she could have been searching for you all this time, that she could have found you sooner.

"They washed up in the marshes a few weeks ago, Wangshu inn took them in to heal, and today, they left the inn to find you"

"I'm glad to hear that they were taken care of and more importantly, that they're alive" Beidou smiled before it dropped as she added "but, no, I havent seen them"

Xiao turned away from her "well if we don't act soon, they may not be alive for long" he glanced over his shoulder towards the female "do you know of their past?"

Beidou was confused by the question before she realised what he was implying "you don't think-?" seeing Xiaos dark expression answered her question before she even asked it, she steeled her own expression "I'll arrange the strongest fighters to search for them"

Xiao nodded "We'll meet near Jueyun Karst . . thats where the most abyssal monsters roam"

Meanwhile you sat shaking before the group of three abyss mages as they murmered among themselves. Inspecting your vision that they had taken from you upon your capture, studying it and then looking at the bow you had carried.

You listened in fear as they discussed forcing you to use your geo element so they could see for themselves what kind of power you possessed but they continued to fall into an arguement among themselves that if they let you use your element you may kill them all if you were really that strong.

There was no way for you to escape, without your vision and your weapon you were effectively powerless against them. As your elemental abilities were centered around your weapon, being able to create arrows out of geo that shattered on imapact to hit more targets and cause more damage.

But without your vision, you couldn't even create the arrows to even throw at them as a distraction.

You watched as they attempted to break the vision trinket, before trying to cast spells on it to no avail. Annoyed, they tossed it to the ground, returning to their mutters and arguements about what to do with you. A staff was suddenly pointing at your chest "when did you get it?!" the pyro mage demanded.

You shook your head, your voice smaller than you wanted it to be as you replied "I don't remember"

They groaned in further annoyance at your answer "this one is too weak" the hydro mage huffed "now what?"

"Maybe we could find a way to force them to get stronger to be fit for our purpose? if it doesn't work, it would dispose of them too"

They all turned to you in unison, studying your shaking figure on the grass, your knuckles paled as you gripped your knees close to your chest as though that would help, or at least comfort you. Your mouth ran dry at their next words "toss them off the cliff"

Beidou followed after Xiao as the small group walked up the hill-filled landscape that lead to Jueyun Karst, frantically searching for you. Beidou using her elemental vision periodically to see if she could find any elemental traces, of either you, or your kidnapper.

But, so far, she had found no sign of anything.

"How are we meant to find them here?" Beidou asked, looking at their surroundings that looked the same in every direction with no clues on where you were "we'll never find them before it gets dark if we continue like this"

Xiao opened his mouth to reply but at the same time, you were thrown from the top of the mountain, as you felt the air rush past your ears, not knowing how long you would fall for and having no way to save yourself or stop you fall you opened your mouth and yelled out.

Xiaos eyes widened as he heard you call his name "head west from here" with that hurried instruction he vanished from in front of Beidou. Beidou wasted no time in forcing the rest of the group to rush in the direction Xiao had given.

Tears flowed from your eyes as you watched the cliffside grow taller as you fell, seeing the leering faces of the three mages atop the mountain, waiting for you to either do something noteworthy, or die.

You squeezed your eyes shut as you prepared for the impact that would end your life, thinking it was best to not see it coming if it were to happen like this. At least, you could finally stop running.

Suddenly the air rushing past you stopped, your body no longer falling helplessly as two strong arms were wrapped tightly around you. You felt grass beneath you.

Your eyes snapped opened, seeing the familiar green tattoo that adorned the shoulder of the arm that held you tightly, safetly. You flung your arms around him, holding him tightly in your relief "you came" you sobbed out softly.

"Of course I did" he murmered softly, through a strained voice, a voice that was lined with the fear that he had almost lost you to a group of stupid abyss mages. He kissed your head, not letting up on his hold of you "your almond tofu sucks, so you need more practice"