𝘿𝙄𝙑𝙄𝙉𝙀 | genshin

一

      It wasn't that Aether didn't mean to, it just happened by mistake.

Sure, the forest seemed much more lively than he had seen the others, there wasn't as many hilichurl camps or anything but the suspicious looking mound of dirt that looked like a curled up serpent caught his eye, it was covered in moss and blooming flowers. What was more interesting was that there was a gem like thing that smoldered of a golden hue on where its forehead should be.

Aether was curious, yet adamant to stay alert. It could be a trap; a signal of some sort in this strange world he fell from the skies in. A lulling hum rang out throughout the forest, a cry of some sort, and thrummed about his head as he approached the unmoving lump, growing louder and louder as he takes a step closer.

The terraform of the serpent was massive, Aether realized. It was almost as tall ( from what he calculated ) as the cliffs he was wandering from near the beach. Aether touches the intricate carvings of each scale, one closed eye, then the moss filled tufts of rock hard hair. It was too magnificent to be natural.

His fingers grazed the pattern, admiring it. It was curved and sharp, placed right on top of the unmoving creature's forehead. That is when the glow it harboured increased, the ground began to tremble and quake, avians flew to flee the safety of the forests, and the chitters of creatures bellowed as they ran. Aether yelps, taking a step back in alarm as the serpent's one closed, visible eye opens with a golden glow, replacing it with a sharp [eye color] eye.

The moss that surrounded its body fell from its shoulders, its extensive body of white scales and a mixture of gold and [color] underbelly. It was beautiful, Aether could not help but admit, yet he was still as cautious as ever, debating whether or not he should flee like the birds and animals did.

Rocks and dirt tumbled off its gleaming body, and for the first time, Aether saw the raw flesh of healing scars within its other eye, closed off permanently from the damage. The scar littered the creature's form, which made Aether wondered what had happened to it that could have caused so much pain to the magnificent entity.

Its eyes snapped onto Aether, and a snarl broke out of its maw, sharp teeth gleaming against the shades of sunlight. The dragon rose through the air with a roar of agony, twisting and clawing at its mangled face, quivering and tremoring the distant lands. It speeds towards Aether with an open jaw, ready to consume. Just then a bright light surrounded the being, blinding the Outlander's eyes for a moment as he shields his face away.

"..."

Hiccup. Sniffle. Sob.

Aether lets his hands rest to his hips, eyeing the familiar sound of crying. There sat, from where the serpent layed a few moments ago, unmoving, a young woman with flowing [long/short] [hair color] locks. The molten glow from her forehead that replicated the dragon's pulsated dully, before seeping into the skin and was replaced by a [skin color] shade.

Crystal clear tears streamed down her porcelain like face, a tired look in her eyes as she swayed from fatigue. Silence. Her sobs quietened as her eyes focused on her surroundings, setting her gaze of Aether's astonished stature, holding what seemed like a very.. sharp sword.

"EEK!" cried out the female, crawling back in fright, clearly intimidated by the sight of a weapon. Aether immediately banishes his weapon from his hand, placing his hands up in the air. "It's alright! It's alright!" he said in a soft tone to help ease the girl. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Aether.. and I'm a traveler."

Aether figured there was no use in lying, as the unknown girl seemed clearly intimidated by him. The female shook her head in a rapid pace, strands of her silky hair thudding silently across her cheek as she denied him. "What's your name?" he took this chance to step closer to the petite female ( who was actually taller than him by a few inches ). The unnamed girl flinched, warily eyeing the seemingly dubious blonde.