Freedom (Jean x oc) A Genshin Impact Fanfic *Completed*

Chapter 5

"Stay where you are, Amell."

Zhongli was in the middle of an enormous portal. Amell had been naive, his pretensions about his master leaving his side the incoming reality than looking at the bigger picture. Zhongli hoped the child would understand his actions. Alas, his subtle gestures wouldn't suffice. Amell knew next to nothing about picking up cues. His master was sending him away; somewhere safer and far from his reach, far from the insanity he wasn't prepared for. 

The tall men in garbs of blue and purple withstood menacingly before Amell like towers of old. They gripped Zhongli by his arms, chains that'd shackle the Geo Archon all the way into the next world.

"W-where are you going, master?!" 

Amell needed a comeback, an acknowledgement to his desperate plea of attachment. The Archon said nothing besides a "Get taller, eat a lot, okay?"

"Please don't disappear like my family!"

His smile showed itself well as the portal shrank, his master's expression the last remnant of stability he clutched onto.

~*~

He couldn't tell the Acting Grand Master of the revelations Diluc and he transmitted in collective efforts. Amell had been feeling like a quack;  confused and hesitant why he was so adamant in delivering the news. The intel he'd gathered certainly wasn't mundane. 

It was urgent which required manpower and precursory maneuvers. He didn't deserve to regale in the city's sights if the aftermath of the city's destruction was extremely plausible. The Abyss Order paraded its own sense of order. Amell had only been an informant; a special delegate representing the Acting Grand Master's virtues. How would Jean react if her escort caught wind of the nemesis's inevitable pressure in building a pyre of war?

He had seen their kind previously. Though they said nothing and only resorted to brute force all the encounters they faced. Amell responded back with a thunderous smite. There were even more irritating issues like the Fatui and their harbingers who were the most influential yet not so kind-hearted individuals. He needed to concentrate on what needed his energy. 

Amell relaxed himself at the corners of Angel's Share, one of the places where he could meditate. During the mornings, Diluc would've been here but was replaced by an older man instead to be the bartender. Amell would've loved to speak to him again but he'd probably be declined. At night, this place was the loudest and Amell would reflect in his room which was located at the headquarters.

It seemed that while there were still many holes left to address, he could only come to a logical understanding. The Abyss Order were having secret meetings in particular time intervals about the machines they were constructing behind the scenes. While Diluc advised him to stay put and await his signal, Amell indulged in sneaking and trespassing like the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius. 

"Diluc mentioned Abyss Mages were the most likely to betray their kin if their life was endangered..." His point could've become a course of action but Diluc did say some were able to kill themselves without fessing up. "It's not much but those are the only creatures of the Abyss that can persuade hilichurls along with whoever... the leader is," he said to no one but himself. 

He slashed at a few names on his list. 

Stormbearer's Point, Stormterror's Lair, and Dragonspine was another thing added to the list for capturing those Abyss Mages.

"If I recall, those two giants I've seen before that took Zhongli away didn't show up for a long time."  He breathed out an air of frustration. "Let's just leave it up to the wind. I don't know enough about them."